LIVERPOOL — It’s a sight the Anfield crowd won’t ever develop uninterested in. For nearly 9 years, it has been one thing of a matchday customized for Mohamed Salah to salute the Kop after dispatching a decisive Liverpool objective — and so it proved once more on Saturday evening because the Egypt worldwide helped Arne Slot’s aspect to a powerful FA Cup fourth spherical victory over Brighton & Hove Albion.
Within the pantheon of Salah’s extraordinary Liverpool seasons, 2025-26 has up to now appeared on track to be little greater than a footnote, with the ahead’s most memorable contribution coming together with his explosive outburst following the 3-3 draw with Leeds United again in December.
On the time, his incendiary interview — through which he took goal at each Slot and the membership hierarchy — appeared like they might spell an unseemly finish to a unprecedented Anfield profession. In opposition to Brighton, nevertheless, Salah’s show was that of a person who seems to have shelved his personal private frustrations for the better good of the group.
– Stones’ quest for World Cup, new Man Metropolis deal begins with win over Salford
– What the soccer world can be taught from FA Cup heroes Macclesfield
– O’Hanlon: The Premier League’s finest and worst gamers at completely different expertise
It’s a determination that will but show very important to making sure this marketing campaign finally ends up being a profitable one for Liverpool. And whereas it’s inconceivable to disclaim that Father Time is beginning to catch as much as him, Salah’s newest exhibiting proved that he’s nonetheless able to shining — even when he has now assumed extra of a supporting function.
On Saturday, Salah assisted Dominik Szoboszlai earlier than successful and scoring a penalty to safe the Reds’ passage to the fifth spherical. Throughout all competitions, is the fifteenth time he has each scored and assisted in a single sport for Liverpool for the reason that begin of final season; 9 extra instances than another Premier League participant throughout this era (Bukayo Saka and Erling Haaland have carried out it six instances every).
His superbly weighted cross for Szoboszlai means solely Bruno Fernandes has extra assists for Premier League golf equipment in all competitions since mid-December (4), regardless of Salah lacking greater than a month of motion attributable to his participation within the Africa Cup of Nations.
Not dangerous for a person whose decline has been a lot heralded this season.
In opposition to Brighton, Salah was one in every of a number of spectacular Liverpool performers as Slot’s slide managed to recapture the scintillating type that has evaded them for a lot of this season. At left again, Milos Kerkez continued his revival, with the Hungary worldwide now taking part in with the grit and guile that compelled Liverpool to signal him for £45 million from AFC Bournemouth final summer season.
The defender’s standout second got here when he brilliantly teed up Curtis Jones to open the scoring shortly earlier than half-time. Jones, deputising at proper again as a result of Reds’ ongoing harm disaster, deftly tapped house from shut vary to cap an completed efficiency that confirmed why Internazionale have been so eager to signal him within the January switch window — and why Liverpool are so eager to increase his contract past the summer season of 2027.
It was within the second half, although, that the hosts actually turned on the fashion, with Szoboszlai’s glorious end rounding off a surprising group transfer that was paying homage to Liverpool at their finest final time period underneath Slot. The objective was Szoboszlai’s tenth of the marketing campaign and the midfielder now seems properly on track to surpass his 2019-20 tally for many targets in a single marketing campaign (12 for RB Salzburg).
Liverpool’s dominance was then compounded when Salah danced previous three Brighton defenders earlier than being upended within the field by Pascal Groß. The ahead made no mistake with the ensuing spot-kick and when — later within the second half — Salah was changed by the prodigious Rio Ngumoha, he acquired a deserved standing ovation from his adoring public.
“It is rather good to have him on the scoresheet once more and him having an help,” Slot mentioned of Salah in his post-match information convention. “However what I like probably the most in the intervening time is him scoring targets is one thing you’ll be able to virtually anticipate, however he additionally helps the group lots defensively and that’s one thing very constructive.
“What the group additionally wants — and I feel increasingly more gamers at the moment are able to — is taking part in each three days at this depth degree and that’s the place we struggled at first of the season. Now we’re in a position to take action, we see increasingly more the standard we’re having and that’s the reason I’ve mentioned so many instances the longer term seems actually vivid for this membership.”
Whether or not Salah might be a part of that vivid future long-term stays to be seen. The ahead’s present deal runs till the top of subsequent season, although there’ll little doubt have an interest events seeking to see if a deal will be carried out this summer season. On the full-time whistle on Saturday, Salah did a lap across the pitch whereas his track — to the tune of “Sit Down” by James — belted out from the stadium’s audio system.
It was a becoming finish to a constructive night for Liverpool. On the proof of his newest show, Salah nonetheless might need just a few extra chapters to jot down earlier than he takes his ultimate Anfield bow.
