Mohamed Salah equals impressive Premier League record only managed by Wayne Rooney after guiding Liverpool to a dominant 2-0 win over Man City
Mo Salah lifted Liverpool into a nine-point lead in the Premier League with a dominant performance in his side’s 2-0 win over Manchester City on Sunday.
Salah set up Cody Gakpo for the opening goal of the match in the 12th minute before taking the points by converting a penalty in the second half.
The Egyptian star – who has just seven months left on his current contract at Anfield – has now scored 168 goals and provided 76 assists in 276 Premier League appearances.
Sunday’s win over City was the 36th Premier League match in which Salah had both scored and registered an assist.
In doing so, he equaled a feat that only Manchester United legend Wayne Rooney could achieve in the Premier League era.
Rooney also scored and assisted in 36 Premier League games during his career at United and Everton.
Mohamed Salah has now scored and assisted in 36 different Premier League matches, having done so in Liverpool’s triumphant 2-0 win over Manchester City at Anfield on Sunday afternoon
Man United legend Wayne Rooney, pictured (left) celebrating a goal with Cristiano Ronaldo in 2005, is the only other player in Premier League history to match Salah’s feat
In total, Rooney found the net 208 times and produced 103 assists during his 491-match Premier League career, which started in 2002 and ended in 2018.
Salah’s first chance to break Rooney’s record outright comes on Wednesday evening when Liverpool travel to Newcastle.
The 32-year-old’s scoring record for Liverpool is all the more impressive when you consider he has spent the majority of his Premier League career on the right wing.
Conversely, Rooney played much of his time as a central striker at Everton and United.
It remains unclear whether Salah’s Premier League career will be extended beyond June next year.
Liverpool fans are desperate to sign a new contract for their star man, but a move away remains a distinct possibility.
Salah was linked with a possible move to Paris Saint-Germain by the French press this weekend.
Before joining Liverpool in 2017, Salah played for Al Mokawloon Al Arab, Basel, Chelsea, Fiorentina and Roma.
Salah set up Cody Gakpo (left) for Liverpool’s first goal against Manchester City on Sunday
Liverpool’s star man then scored the second goal himself, converting a 78th-minute penalty
After Sunday’s win, Salah suggested in an interview with Sky Sports that he may never play in a Liverpool-City match at Anfield again.
“Honestly, it’s in my head,” he said. ‘So far this is the last City game I’m playing for Liverpool, so I was just going to enjoy it.
‘The atmosphere was incredible, so I will enjoy every second of it.
‘Hopefully we just win the competition and see what happens.’