277 and out? Liverpool's Salah turns record breaker again
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While Mohamed Salah's Liverpool future remains in doubt, his legacy at Anfield cannot be questioned.And if Saturday's 2-0 win over Brighton does prove to be his last game for the Reds, he has managed to break one final record.Once taunted as a Chelsea flop before he revived his career at Fiorentina and Roma, the Egyptian now stands alone as the player with the most goal involvements in Premier League history for a single club.Having come on as a 26th-minute substitute - his first appearance since claiming he had been "thrown under the bus" by the club last week - his corner was headed in at the back post by Hugo Ekitike on the hour mark.Salah's 277 goal involvements (188 goals, 89 assists) for Liverpool meant he moved above former Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney (183 goals, 93 assists) in the standings.Liverpool parted with £34m to sign Salah from Roma in 2017 - a fee that now seems like peanuts after his jaw-dropping 364 goal contributions in 421 club appearances in all competitions (250 goals and 114 assists).After an uninspiring two-year spell at Chelsea, few would have believed the 33-year-old would go on to break countless records, win eight major trophies and become a Liverpool icon.He scored just twice in 19 appearances for the Blues before he joined Roma in 2016 after a loan spell with them, and fellow Serie A side Fiorentina.Following his return to English football with Liverpool, Salah has certainly made his mark.The phrase "Only Mo Salah" frequently does the rounds on social media to highlight his exceptional and often unique achievements.So let's take a look at the records he has broken during his eight years on Merseyside. Most goal involvements in a 38-game season with 47 (29 goals, 18 assists)First player to win the Premier League's golden boot, golden playmaker and player of the season awardsJoint-highest number of Golden Boot awards (four with Thierry Henry)First player to win the Golden Boot and Playmaker award twiceTop scoring overseas player in Premier League history - overtaking Sergio AgueroFirst player in Premier League history to reach double-digit goals in opening day fixturesFirst player to score or assist 40 or more goals in two different Premier League seasonsWill Salah add the all-time most Premier League goal involvements to this list of records?
Former Newcastle United and Blackburn Rovers striker Alan Shearer leads the way on 324, Rooney follows on 311 and Salah is further adrift on 279 - including his two Chelsea goals.In normal circumstances it would not be beyond the Egyptian to finish on top, but recent developments mean he may not be at Anfield long enough to do so.Ex-England striker Shearer leads the way at the top of the scoring charts with 260 goals, while Salah is 70 adrift.Shearer's tally came in 441 games while playing as a striker. But clubs in Saudi Arabia are keen to sign him in January, should Liverpool decide to sell Salah.If he stays, Salah has a maximum of a season and a half to score 70 goals.Father Time could also finally be catching up.
Having hit his best Premier League numbers last season, they have slowed down this term.At the same stage last season, he had registered 22 goal involvements (13 goals, nine assists) in the league. When Salah's contract expires, he'll be just shy of turning 35, but Liverpool's summer acquisitions of Alexander Isak, Hugo Ekitike and Florian Wirtz suggest the Reds have already been planning for life after Salah, whenever that comes.Before Salah's arrival in June 2017, Liverpool had not lifted a trophy since the League Cup five years earlier.