By Larry Rupp
The race is on to determine which team will emerge victorious atop the 2021-22 English Premier League (EPL) table as the season crosses the halfway point. Manchester City finds themselves firmly in the lead when it comes to the standings, but one player on Liverpool has been single handedly outperforming the rest of the pack so far.
That player would be Mohamed Salah. The dynamic forward has been unstoppable for Liverpool this season and boasts the best odds to be named Pro Football Association’s (PFA) Player of the Year at -250, according to DraftKings Sportsbook. The remaining top five candidates include the likes of Kevin De Bruyne of Manchester City (+600), Bernardo Silva of Manchester City (+800), Trent Alexander-Arnold of Liverpool (+1800), and Cristiano Ronaldo of Manchester United (+2000).
💭 “A goal to dream of” ✨@MoSalah’s solo stunner against Man City is October’s @budfootball Goal of the Month#PLAwards | @LFC pic.twitter.com/o5KlX7l8Bz
— Premier League (@premierleague) November 12, 2021
There’s an obvious reason as to why Salah seems to be pulling away in this battle. The 29-year-old star currently leads the EPL with 16 goals across 20 matches played. That may not sound too impressive, but the next closest competitor only has 10 goals and is on the same team as Salah (Diogo Jota). Liverpool fans know best that Salah makes miraculous runs down the sideline crossing defenders and creating open space almost every time he is out on the pitch. His ability to handle volleys with such ease and place the ball where the goalkeeper has no chance of blocking it places him amongst the top EPL scorers.
Not only is Salah a threat to score whenever he possesses the ball, he is also capable of setting up his teammates. The Egypt native is tied with his teammate Alexander-Arnold for the most assists in the EPL so far (9). Salah’s style of play rivals that of Ronaldo or Lionel Messi in that he should have no trouble continuing to shine well into his 30s. In fact, Liverpool Manager Jurgen Klopp mentioned why Salah’s longevity stands alone in one of his latest press conferences.
“It’s his character, determination and that’s the way he trains. His work attitude is incredible, he’s the first in and last out, doing the right stuff,” Klopp said of Salah.
15 consecutive @PremierLeague games with a goal or assist for @MoSalah 🤯
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) December 17, 2021
This fella is special 🇪🇬👑 pic.twitter.com/mD6kVFOzjb
Salah’s efforts on the field haven’t gone without reward as Liverpool sits in second place on the EPL table and is starting to gain ground on Manchester City. Klopp’s squad is averaging a reliable 2.6 goals per match this season and have posted nine shutout wins. Salah & company are set to face off against the Sky Blues on April 9 in what is sure to be a highly-anticipated and meaningful matchup.
It’ll be interesting to see if De Bruyne can put on a big enough show with the EPL leaders in an attempt to catch Salah in the odds. After all, he has taken home the award in each of the last two years. Meanwhile, Salah will be aiming to earn the honors for the first time since the 2017-18 season, which was the season he joined Liverpool and started building his list of accolades.
Picture Credit: Mehdi Bolourian
