Mohamed Salah’s impact for Liverpool this season has been plain to see, but a quick look at an alternative league table really hammers home his importance.
The Reds are preparing for the very real possibility of life without Salah next season. The Egyptian international is out of contract in the summer, and suggested he is “more out than in” when it comes to remaining at Anfield.
Salah has 10 goals and six assists in the league this season, with his 16 goal contributions putting him four clear of his closest challengers. Two of those goals came on Sunday, helping Liverpool come from behind to win 3-2 at Southampton.It’s not just a case of Salah scoring freely – his goals and assists have often been the difference between defeats and draws or between draws and victories. In Liverpool’s case, it also means the difference between top spot and a lowly bottom-half placement.
Data experts Opta have shown what this season’s Premier League table would look like without Salah’s goals and assists. They have secured an additional 17 points for his team, helping them open up an eight point lead in real life.
In the alternate world with no Salah goal contributions, Liverpool are down in 13th with just 14 points. And there are changes elsewhere in the table, too.Second-placed Manchester City have yet to play Liverpool this season, so they stay on 23 points in this alternate table. However, they are only fourth here, with Brighton, Arsenal and new leaders Chelsea all ‘regaining’ the points they lost through Salah goals and assists.
Second-placed Manchester City have yet to play Liverpool this season, so they stay on 23 points in this alternate table. However, they are only fourth here, with Brighton, Arsenal and new leaders Chelsea all ‘regaining’ the points they lost through Salah goals and assists.Brighton would gain a point, having conceded a Salah winner at Anfield, while Arsenal would regain the two they lost due to Salah’s late equaliser in North London. Chelsea would gain three, though, with Salah’s goal and assist removed to turn a 2-1 Liverpool win into a 1-0 victory for Enzo Maresca’s Blues.
The theoretical table was shared before Monday night’s game, meaning Liverpool would in fact drop further. West Ham won at Newcastle to climb up to 15 points, one more than the 14 Liverpool would have without Salah’s contributions.“We are almost in December and I haven’t received any offers yet to stay in the club. I’m probably more out than in,” Salah said when asked about his future.“You know I have been in the club for many years. There is no club like this. But in the end it is not in my hands. As I said before, it is December and I haven’t received anything yet about my future.
“I love the fans. The fans love me. In the end it is not in my hands or the fans’ hands. Let’s wait and see.”
