Is Egypt’s Mohamed Salah Currently the Premier League’s Best Winger?
Following his two-year spell at Chelsea under Jose Mourinho, few expected Mohamed Salah to have had the impact on the Premier League that he’s had since returning to England’s top-flight. However, since signing for Liverpool in the summer of 2017 for a reported fee of $48.1 million, the former Basel winger has gone from strength to strength under the guidance of the Reds’ German manager, Jurgen Klopp.
As a result, we’re going to consider whether the Egyptian is currently the best winger in the top tier of English football, while also analyzing his stats since his return to the Premier League.
Red-Hot Form
Salah is now midway through his third full season with the reigning European Champions and is on course to surpass the 20-goal mark in the league for the third successive season. At the time of writing, and despite having missed three of Liverpool’s fixtures thus far, the winger has amassed 11 goals in 19 matches while also assisting a further five, which is one of the main reasons why Liverpool are the heavy favorites to win the Premier League title, according to betting sites in India and other countries around the world. However, the Egyptian doesn’t look likely to retain the golden boot award for the third season running, he currently sits eighth in the goalscoring charts, ahead of his Liverpool teammate, Roberto Firmino.
When contemplating whether Salah is the league’s best winger, it’s vital to consider the personal accolades that he has been awarded over the last few years. In 2018, the 27-year-old was named as the PFA Players’ Player of the Year after his record-breaking season which saw him beat the existing record of goals scored in a 38-game campaign, while he also became the first African to score 30 goals in a single Premier League season.
Who’s His Competition for the Crown?
While there can be no doubts surrounding Salah’s quality both in front of goal and creating chances, he does have some competition for the crown of being the best winger in England’s top-flight. In recent campaigns, Manchester City’s Raheem Sterling has flourished while playing for Pep Guardiola, scoring at least 17 goals in each of his last two full seasons. Moreover, the 25-year-old also picked up the PFA Young Player of the Year award after contributing to 27 goals in 34 appearances during the 2018-19 title-winning season.
Aside from Sterling, Salah’s Liverpool teammate, Sadio Mane, is also debatably the league’s most dangerous winger. The Senegalese international shared the golden boot last season with both Salah and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. Additionally, over the course of his previous 21 league matches, the former Southampton and RB Salzburg attacker has had direct involvement in 17 goals.
Salah Can Stake a Claim for the Title
While Mane and Sterling have taken their game to new heights throughout the last few seasons, Salah has broken numerous records while also being recognized by both journalists and peers as being the Premier League’s best player just a couple of years ago. Moreover, the Egyptian’s goal return in each of his campaigns since returning to England has yet to be bettered by fellow wingers, highlighting his world-class level in front of the goal.
