Scintillating Salah draws level with Henry in all-time Premier League scorers chart

Mohamed Salah has long been recognised as one of the best forwards to ever grace the Premier League, but this season any margin doubt about the Egyptian’s contribution to English football since his arrival at Liverpool in 2017 has been firmly laid to rest. 

The Liverpool wide man sits proudly atop the top-scorer chart after 20 games, notching 18 league goals as the Reds lead the way in the top-flight. His latest strike came courtesy of a penalty against Manchester United on Sunday in what was a high point to an otherwise frustrating afternoon for the 32-year-old at Anfield. 

Indeed, the sign of a world class footballer is managing to affect a game even when the overall performance level dips slightly and that is exactly what Salah did when he rifled a precisely arrowed spot-kick past Andre Onana in the United net; the Cameroonian diving the right way but unable to resist the fierceness of the ball produced by such a clean strike.

Salah’s goal against United was his 21st of the season in all competitions and, as mentioned, brings him to 18 in the league alone – two goals ahead of Erling Haaland (16) and five in front of Cole Palmer, Alexander Isak and Bryan Mbeumo (each on 13). 

Perhaps more poignantly, though, it was his 175th career goal in the Premier League and draws him level with the great Thierry Henry in the division’s all-time top scorer chart. 

The Liverpool talisman now finds himself joint-seventh (alongside Henry) in the overall standings, and just two short of Frank Lampard’s tally of 177. Salah is only nine shy of Sergio Aguero’s total of 184, and 12 behind Andy Cole’s record of 187. The fact that he is a winger who practically never operates through the middle – and has achieved such a monumental feat in just 282 games (Lampard’s goal-record was built in 609 games) – makes it all the more impressive.

Salah left it late to respond to his main challengers in the Golden Boot after they all found the net this weekend. 

Erling Haaland has scooped the award in back-to-back campaigns since his arrival at the Etihad in 2022, but has endured a dip in form as City have experienced a rare struggle in both the league and Europe throughout the last two months. The reigning Premier League champions and current proprietor of the Golden Boot have responded positively in their last two outings, however, beating Leicester 2-0 last weekend before thumping West Ham 4-1 on Saturday. In both matches, Haaland has been on the scoresheet, netting once against the Foxes and twice during Saturday’s rout over the east Londoners at the Etihad. 

But Haaland is not the only player in with a genuine shout of claiming the coveted award this season. After a slow start, Newcastle’s Alexander Isak has found himself in inspired form of late and added to his 12-goal haul with a close-range strike against Tottenham, while Bryan Mbeuemo heaped more misery on bottom side Southampton with an emphatic brace at St Mary’s, and Cole Palmer struck his 13th of the campaign in a 1-1 draw away at Crystal Palace. For the first time in three seasons, there is a genuine battle on our hands for the top-scorer award, leading to a truly enthralling watch.

If Salah does manage to outscore his rivals and clinch the Golden Boot this term then he will equal Henry for another accolade – becoming only the second person in history to finish as the Premier League top-scorer in as many as four separate seasons. 

If this does prove to be his last in the top-flight, Salah will depart England not just a Liverpool legend, but unequivocally as one of the best players we have ever witnessed on these shores.