“We don’t have to talk about what Messi and Ronaldo have done for world football and their dominance. But right now, Salah is the best in the world “
After scoring one of the most memorable goals of recent years in the draw with Manchester City two weeks ago, Salah put in another typical showstopping performance for the Reds who dismantled Watford at Vicarage Road.
The Liverpool Manager Jurgen Klopp cannot but shower praises on the Egyptian talisman by describing him as the best player in the world after the Egyptian shone in Saturday’s 5-0 win over Watford.
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND – DECEMBER 14: Mohamed Salah of Liverpool embraces Jurgen Klopp, Manager of Liverpool (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)
Speaking to BT Sport : “His performance was massive today. The pass for the first goal was great and the second goal was special. He is top. We all see it. Who is better than him? We don’t have to talk about what Messi and Ronaldo have done for world football and their dominance. But right now, he is the best and it is clear there is nobody better than him.”
“He is in his age where you can still improve, and he’s doing that constantly. You saw the first goal that he set up for Sadio today, that is an outstanding pass. He brought that, I don’t know, from the summer break. After that, he started doing these kinds of things.
“How I said, we don’t have hours and hours and hours to train different things. But the boys improve their game by themselves. The consistency he delivers, all this kind of stuff, maybe people just now start seeing it – it was always there. He plays for us for five years now but it’s absolutely incredible the way he performs since he’s here.
“He’s in the top, top five since he is at Liverpool pretty much. And now he is the best in that moment. The big thing between Cristiano and Messi was that nobody had a doubt about it for years, but Mo is already on the top level for years as well and there’s still a lot to come from him because of his desire. He just wants to perform on a top-class level.”
KLOPP ON THE OVERALL PERFORMANCE
“It was good! I cannot say differently. After the international break, it is hard to find the rhythm after playing different systems, but the boys were so good despite only having one session before today.
I think Watford had ideas, but we didn’t let them play. The goals were really brilliant, there was great attitude, energy and character.”
SALAH IMPLAUSIBLE FORM
Mohamed Salah has scored in eight consecutive games across all competitions for the first time in his career and in six games Premier League games.
Salah’s goal takes him level with former Chelsea striker Didier Drogba as the highest-scoring African player in Premier League history with 104 goals.
He has now scored 12 goals and six assists in his last 15 Premier League appearances with his personal form hitting new levels of greatness.
WATFORD, ENGLAND – OCTOBER 16: Mohamed Salah of Liverpool takes on Craig Cathcart of Watford on his way to scoring the 4th Liverpool goal during the Premier League match between Watford and Liverpool at Vicarage Road on October 16, 2021 in Watford, England. (Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)
WATFORD, ENGLAND – OCTOBER 16: (SUN OUT,THE SUN ON SUNDAY OUT) Mohamed Salah of Liverpool scores the fourth goal making the score 0-4 during the Premier League match between Watford and Liverpool at Vicarage Road on October 16, 2021 in Watford, England. (Photo by Andrew Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
When asked if he has ever scored a better goal than this one, he told BT Sport: “In the last game, maybe! I don’t know which one was better, this one or the City one.
” Every time I’m in the box, I’m trying to give the ball to someone to score, or I score by myself. It’s always about the team.
I always try to play for the team. The most important thing today is we scored good goals, all of us in front scored. Hopefully, we can carry on like that.”
“Sometimes I don’t have luck to score goals. I’m just trying every time to give 100 per cent from what I have and trying to help the team. Sometimes I have luck, sometimes not.
But I’m feeling confident at the moment, I feel like I’m scoring goals, helping the team to get points, which is the most important thing.”
Steven McManaman on Salah
He said: ‘He is the best in the world at the moment. I’ve seen Mbappe, Neymar, Messi – who hasn’t played enough.
‘Lewandowski has carried on scoring for Bayern but not these type of goals. I can’t think of anyone who is playing better football than Mo Salah at the moment.’
Fellow pundit Joe Cole continued: ‘There is a massive argument for it (being the best player in the world). Certainly best player in this country. He is in the form of his life. He was a pleasure to watch. The pass for the first goal was outstanding as well.
‘He’s such a top, top player. you don’t appreciate it until you see all the little stuff off the ball. He’s so strong as well. Technically he is unbelievable. He reminds me of Ronaldinho, he was freakishly strong.’
Liverpool travel to Wanda Metropolitano stadium on Tuesday and will be looking to avenge their painful european defeat which marked the beginning of their catastrophic collapsed in 2020.