Tag: Salah

Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah and Arsenal’s Declan Rice are among six nominees for October’s Premier League Player of the Month award.

Salah has received his second POTM nomination in a row after scoring in each of his three league appearances for the Reds, netting five goals in total.

The Egyptian attacker began the month of October by scoring a brace in a 2-2 draw at Brighton & Hove Albion, before netting both goals in Liverpool’s 2-0 home triumph over Merseyside rivals Everton.

Salah then found the net in a 3-0 win against Nottingham Forest last weekend, increasing his goal tally in this season’s Premier League to eight in 10 games and helping Jurgen Klopp’s side climb into the top four.

Meanwhile, Arsenal’s record signing Rice is in contention to win his first-ever divisional award having been recognised for his influential displays in midfield, playing in all but one minute of the Gunners’ three top-flight games in October.

The England international played a key role in Arsenal’s narrow 1-0 home victory over reigning Premier League champions Manchester City, before scoring a stunning long-range goal to help Mikel Arteta’s side rescue a 2-2 draw at London rivals Chelsea.

Read Also: EPL: Salah double gives Liverpool derby win over 10-man Everton

Rice then provided an assist for the opening goal scored by hat-trick hero Eddie Nketiah in Arsenal’s thumping 5-0 win over Sheffield United at the Emirates Stadium last weekend.

Another midfielder who enjoyed an impressive spell in October was Aston Villa’s Douglas Luiz, who has received a monthly nomination after contributing with two goals and one assist to help Unai Emery’s men claim seven points across three Premier League matches.

The Brazilian netted twice in Villa’s 4-1 win over West Ham United, becoming the first Lions player to score in six successive Premier League home games, before setting up the opening goal scored by John McGinn in last weekend’s 3-1 victory against Luton Town.

Another player who made a significant contribution in the final third in October was Brentford’s Bryan Mbuemo, who has been nominated for the POTM award after scoring two goals and registering two assists across four matches.

Liverpool scored two late goals to earn a come-from-behind victory against a battling Wolves side at Molineux and go top of the Premier League.

Andy Robertson marked his 200th Premier League appearance by putting the Reds ahead for the first time in 85 minutes, before substitute Harvey Elliott’s shot deflected off Hugo Bueno for an own goal to seal the victory in stoppage time.

Read Also: EPL: Salah’s assists inspire comeback win over Wolves

Cody Gakpo brought Liverpool level at the start of the second half when he converted Mohamed Salah’s fizzing cross-shot.

The home side dominated the first half and deservedly opened the scoring when Hwang Hee-Chan fired home at the far post after some excellent wing play by Pedro Neto.

Mohamed Salah will remain at Liverpool for the near future after the Saudi Pro League transfer window closed on Thursday.

Last week, ESPN reported that Liverpool rejected an offer worth up to £150 million ($190m) for the Egypt international from Al Ittihad.

It was reported that the Saudi club would attempt to make a higher offer for Salah on their transfer deadline day but that failed to materialise.

Throughout the transfer window, Liverpool have been adamant that Salah would not be allowed to leave Anfield after former players Jordan Henderson, Sadio Mané, Fabinho and Roberto Firmino completed deals to Saudi clubs this summer. After Salah scored in a 3-0 win over Aston Villa on Sunday, manager Jurgen Klopp reiterated the club’s stance and said the 31-year-old was fully committed to the Premier League club.

“He didn’t tell me [if he wants to stay] but he didn’t have to,” Klopp told reporters after the game. “He speaks with his training and performances and behaviour.

Read Also Nigerian boxers chase Paris Olympics tickets to Dakar

We had meetings this week, and the meetings were not about what we did in the past, it was about what we will do in the future.

“Mo was with the players’ [leadership] committee and had his moments where he was talking and it was nothing like ‘by the way, this is only until next week’ or whatever.”

Salah’s future could become a talking point once again when the transfer window reopens in January.

He is likely to return to action for Liverpool when they face Wolves following the international break.

Despite anticipation that Salah could be the latest superstar signing, the Saudi window ended relatively quietly. Demarai Gray joined Al Ettifaq from Everton and Luiz Felipe completed a move from Real Betis to Al Ittihad.

There was also speculation that Manchester United winger Jadon Sancho could join the exodus, but a move did not materialize.

The transfer business of Saudi clubs has been spectacular enough, even without a deadline day deal for Salah, with a total outlay of $1 billion during the summer window.

Mohamed Salah put speculation about his future behind him by scoring as Liverpool comfortably beat Aston Villa to continue their strong start to the season in the Premier League.

Jurgen Klopp’s side rejected a £150m bid for the Egypt international from Saudi Pro League club Al-Ittihad, with the Reds insisting the 31-year-old is not for sale.

And Salah emphasized his worth to Liverpool when he scored their third goal in the second half at Anfield, firing in at the back post from Darwin Nunez’s cross to seal a third league win in a row.

Dominik Szoboszlai got the hosts up and running after just three minutes, scoring his first goal for the club with a crisp strike through a crowded box.

Read Also: Six hospitalised as event centre collapses in Ekiti

Villa, who have been scoring for fun since losing 5-1 to Newcastle in their opening game of the season, were far too open at the back as they struggled to deal with Liverpool’s forwards.

The hosts increased their lead in the 22nd  minute when Nunez’s shot hit the post and bounced in off the unlucky Matty Cash.

Liverpool looked capable of scoring with every attack in a rampant first half, although Villa’s cause was not helped by an enforced change as centre-back Diego Carlos limped off with an injury inside the opening 20 minutes.

And the lively Nunez went close to scoring his third goal in two games as his shot bounced off the crossbar.

Keeper Alisson made a good stop to push out Cash’s header in the second half, but Salah’s second goal of the season wrapped up a win that moved Liverpool up to third in the Premier League, two points behind leaders Manchester City.

Liverpool manager dismissed suggestions on Friday that Mohamed Salah could become the latest star name to depart European football for Saudi Arabia.

According to reports, Al-Ittihad are trying to lure the Egyptian to the Gulf state with a huge salary offer that would rival the deals that enticed Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar to the Gulf kingdom.

Salah signed a three-year contract extension at Anfield just over 12 months ago and his agent has previously poured cold water on speculation of a move.

Read Also: Manchester United rally from two goals down to beat 10-man forest

 “If we considered leaving LFC this year, we wouldn’t have renewed the contract last summer. Mohamed remains committed to LFC,” Ramy Abbas posted on X, formerly Twitter, earlier this month.

Liverpool’s plans for the transfer window have already been thrown into chaos by the loss of midfielders Fabinho and Jordan Henderson to Saudi clubs and Klopp said the club would not consider any offers for Salah.

 “Talk about media stories,” Klopp said at his pre-match press conference ahead of Sunday’s trip to Newcastle. “Nothing to talk about from my point of view – Mo Salah is a Liverpool player.

 “He is an essential player, was and will be. There is nothing there. If there was, the answer would be no.”

The Egyptian superstar has been attracting lustful gazes from the gulf state all summer and one of the four clubs owned by the nation’s Public Investment Fund, Al-Ittihad, have made him, and Liverpool, a mouth-watering offer.

Not only is a three-year contract supposedly on the table, worth £100million as a basic salary, but he’s also reportedly being offered a private jet or unlimited plane tickets for his family as well as a lucrative offer to become an ambassador for tourism and investments in the country.

The Sun claimed  the Saudis are also offering Salah the chance to buy shares in a Saudi-based side later down the line – a proposal not too dissimilar to that which lured David Beckham to MLS in 2007.

When the England midfielder left Real Madrid for LA Galaxy, part of the deal enabled him set up his own MLS franchise (he subsequently established Inter Miami in 2018), and Salah may end up doing something similar if he moves to the Saudi Pro League. The reported deal offered by Al-Ittihad would eclipse the £173m contract handed to Ronaldo when he signed for Al-Nassr in December last year.

Al-Ittihad have offered Liverpool £150m to secure Salah’s services, and although Jurgen Klopp’s side are expected to fight tooth and nail to keep the 31-year-old, the Saudi club are going to throw everything they have at signing him until the end of the transfer window.

This could present a problem for Liverpool as the Saudi Pro League transfer window closes on September 20 – three weeks after the Premier League window shuts. As such, the Reds won’t be able to source a replacement for Salah until after Christmas at the earliest.

Salah will join the likes of Karim Benzema, N’Golo Kante and former Liverpool team-mate Fabinho if he moves to Al-Ittihad, who are managed by ex-Tottenham and Wolves coach Nuno Espirito Santo.