Mohamed Salah displayed his incredible playmaking abilities once again, grabbing an assist to set Sadio Mane up against Villarreal.
Thierry Henry reacted to the pass, saying: “He meant to put the ball in between the legs of the defender.
“That’s OUTSTANDING. You can’t defend that… That pass, this is why Mo Salah this season is better than what he used to be, WOW.”
Thierry Henry on Salah’s assist last night: “That’s outstanding, the pass from Salah was just outstanding.” 🇪🇬👑 pic.twitter.com/4IfkuM6qj8
— Salah Central (@SalahCentral) April 28, 2022
The Egyptian is marked tighter than any player in the modern game as defenders recognise the impact he is capable of having on games.
The £90m-rated forward now has 30 goals and 14 assists this season but it’s his playmaking abilities that are once again coming to the fore for the Reds.
Despite being marked so tightly at Anfield last night, Salah was able to impact the game as he assisted Sadio Mane’s goal to make it 2-0.
Liverpool have a strong lead heading to Spain for the second leg of the tie but both sides will realize that a single Villarreal goal will change the approach both sides will take.
However, with Salah relishing his playmaking role at the moment and with Sadio Mane revitalised as a false nine alongside Luis Diaz on the left-wing, the Reds will feel confident of their chances of either protecting their lead or extending it further at the Estadio de la Ceramica next week.
In his last six games for the Reds, Salah has 4 assists and 2 goals, proving yet again that there is little point in doubting the former AS Roma star when he’s suffering from a dip in form.
It was particularly premature given the monumental international disappointments Salah has suffered this season with Egpyt.
Even the most mentally strong player is bound to struggle after losing a final in a major international competition like AFCON not to mention following that by missing out on World Cup qualification in a playoff game where he missed a penalty.
While Mane and Salah have a strong relationship despite the British media’s best attempt to create a false narrative about a rift between them, it’s bound to hurt seeing your teammate achieve all the international goals you had set for yourself.
That said, Salah seems to have refound himself and while the goals aren’t flowing as freely as they were pre-AFCON, his creativity doesn’t seem to be hindered anymore.
Salah is the Premier League’s top goalscorer and the player with the most assists and a strong finish to his personal season could yet see Liverpool pip Manchester City to the title although the Reds still need the Blues to drop points.
