Ally McCoist simply couldn’t believe how Jeff Stelling omitted one Liverpool stalwart from a combined XI of the three Premier League title contenders.
The duo were on talkSPORT when they were selecting their best team out of players from the Reds, Manchester City and Arsenal, and the former Soccer Saturday host made the contentious call to opt for Bukayo Saka over Mo Salah on the right-hand side of attack.
He explained: “I would have Saka in the side. I just think he’s such an exhilarating young talent…It’s going to cost you somebody, and that somebody would be Mo Salah.”
That left McCoist gasping in disbelief, and even one Gunners fan who was on air at the time during the phone-in admitted that he’d pick the Egyptian over the England youngster.
Stelling continued: “I’ve gone for Saka rather than Salah, I just think Saka has been sensational. Look, the stats, there’s not much to pick between them this season.”
With 16 goals and 15 assists in 35 appearances this term, and 54 of each in 214 games for Arsenal at the age of just 22 (Transfermarkt), there’s no disputing that Saka is an excellent player.
However, he still has a way to go if he’s to reach the staggering levels of consistency which have become routine for Salah.
His tally for the season so far stands at 19 goals and 10 assists in 28 games, and he’s never scored fewer than 23 in any of his six full campaigns at Liverpool up to now (Transfermarkt), a record he’ll almost certainly maintain this time around.
If we’re picking a strongest XI from the Reds, City and Arsenal, there’s simply no way we leave out the Egyptian King.
You can check out the pundits’ picks below (from 5:03), via talkSPORT on YouTube: