Editor’s Column: My definitive ranking of Mo Salah’s 10 Greatest Liverpool Goals

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After the Manchester City game on Sunday, I was fairly broken. Not upset or angry – just totally drained – from one of the most frenetic, topsy-turvy 45 minutes of football I’ve seen in years.

The first-half was drab from a Red perspective; but the second? Wow. And to think – they want to play Premier League matches abroad? Ludicrous. That kind of spectacle can only happen in a side’s home ground. But that’s one for another day.

Mo Salah, eh? The Egyptian’s goal and assist against the country’s best defence means he’s on 137 goal involvements since signing from AS Roma. That’s 27 ahead of next best Harry Kane. Salah is a right-winger, remember.

The plaudits have followed. Salah was labelled as better than Messi and Ronaldo by Chris Sutton, while Alan Shearer described his goal as one of the best he’s ever seen on MOTD. The Athletic named it top five in the PL era on a Monday podcast.

All Liverpool fans knew of Salah’s brilliance already, but when you remember the likes of Andy Goldstein told radio listeners Salah, ‘Just doesn’t do it for me,’ and Robbie Savage claimed he’d rather have Mason Greenwood for this campaign – it’s worth noting!

Anyway, the goal sparked a debate on our Empire of the Kop WhatsApp group about Salah’s greatest Liverpool strike… So I thought I’d better publish mine online before anyone else had a chance.

Honourable mentions to the back-heel v Watford, the never-ending run v Southampton, the turn-and-volley v Newcastle and the ‘We’re gonna win the league’ goal v Manchester United… and probably loads of others. 

10) The Champions League curler v Roma – 2017/18

The atmosphere in Anfield this night was beyond electric. Champions League semi-final, and Mo put his former club to the sword with a wonderful brace. The first was a left-footed curler into the top corner of then Roma keeper Alisson’s net!

We would have won the final if Sergio Ramos hadn’t taken him out of the game in Kiev – but never mind – we did the business in Madrid the following season.

9) The humiliation of David Luiz v Arsenal – 2019/20

This goal shows you how insanely fast Salah really is. He first picks the ball up only a few yards into Arsenal’s half, but with one clever turn, he’s left David Luiz for dead – and the Brazilian is chasing a shadow from this point on. Salah beelines to the goal and slots coolly into the corner with his left. The kind of goal not many players on the planet can score.

8) The forgotten volley v Stoke – 2017/18

Nobody speaks about this goal, but it’s a rasper! Salah peels off at the back-post and puts his hand in the air, asking for a deep ball from partner in crime, Sadio Mane. The Senegalese delivers and Salah connects with frightening power. It’s one of those strikes where it makes no difference if it’s in the corner or central, it’s hit that hard – and it’s one of most underrated of Salah’s tenure.

7) The Houdini escape goal v Watford – 2017/18

Where is the space?! How does he navigate his way round these Watford defenders and still poke the ball into the corner of the net. Mo bagged four on this evening at Anfield – and it was then we realised we were truly dealing with a potentially all-time great.

6) The ludicrous angle, on the wrong-foot goal v Rb Salzburg – 2019/20

For someone who is lazily described as one-footed, this isn’t a bad effort, is it?! Salah puts the ball in literally the only place that evades the keeper and still finds the net. All at pace, next to the touchline. This is probably a 1 in 20 goal from someone even as brilliant as Salah, I reckon.

5) The Bergkamp touch and finish v West Ham – 2020/21

Last season was often shite, but there were some lovely moments – like this effort v West Ham. Trent’s ball to Shaq is massive, and the Swiss puts it on a sixpence for Mo to control and finish in one movement. It reminds me of the Luis Suarez v Newcastle goal and also Bergkamp v Argentina from World Cup 1998.

4) The bizarrely awarded Puskas goal v Everton – 2017/18

It shouldn’t have been named the best goal in world football that year, but it’s still pretty good, right?! Salah wriggles free from a few challenges and curls the ball into the top corner. Like three of the top four goals in this list though, it sadly came in a game Liverpool drew.

3) The thunderbastard v Chelsea – 2018/19

Salah often side-foots his finishes. He sometimes scuffs them into the net, and he hits it cleaner on the volley than he does off the floor. But this goal shows that every now and again, he can put his boot through it like Stevie! The camera angle of this goal makes it more beautiful. You can see the ball arrowing into the corner from the minute it leaves his boot. What a banger.

2) The bulldozer goal v Spurs – 2017/18

How was this not a winner when it came in injury-time at Anfield?! Spurs went down the other end and robbed a penalty, and the feeling post-match was dejection – but it shouldn’t take away from Salah’s effort. He appeals for a hand-ball penalty, doesn’t get it, so decides to just barge and jink his way through all the defenders and poke it into the net anyway. It’s very reminiscent of his City effort in terms of difficulty, just less aesthetically pleasing. I love the strength on show here.

1) The Maradona-Dribble goal v Manchester City – 2021/21

Often great goals get exaggerated, but if this doesn’t win Premier League Goal of the Season, I’ll be surprised – and very excited to see what beats it… This goal is Maradona ’86. It’s Messi at his best. Look at it! Every movement is executed to perfection and the finish, on his wrong-foot, is crisp and into the far corner. He does five defenders and a goalkeeper. The best goal Salah has ever scored for Liverpool – and when you see what went before – that’s some feat!

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1 Comment

  1. Three that could have been on this list: The strength and the audacity of that goal vs Bournemouth when Steve Cook stamped his achillee to bring him down. The goal from the last minute Allison pass against United confirming that we were going to win the league. And finally Salah from 40 yards vs Ederson.

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