Above image: Cosmin Iftode, Bigstockphoto
Mo Salah will go down as one of the greatest footballers to have appeared in the Premier League. He is also a Liverpool legend and has certainly been a true star since moving back to the PL. He also has strong claims to be the best African player of all time, or is certainly in the discussion.
The Egyptian seems set to leave Anfield at the end of the season, although we wouldn’t be hugely surprised if he was offered, and persuaded to accept, a new contract to keep him there longer. At the time of writing, he has bagged 160 Premier League goals and 72 assists from 266 games. That equates to a goal involvement once every 1.15 games and is a brilliant return.
Those numbers put Salah up there with the best of the best. Thierry Henry boasted 175 goals and 74 assists from 258 games, whilst Harry Kane has 216 and 46 respectively from 320 PL matches. But as well as excellent stats across the board, it is often said that what separates the true greats from the merely very, very good, is their record against the other top teams.
We are not going to analyse Salah’s stats against the likes of Man City or Arsenal, or in the Champions League. Instead, our focus here is the Egyptian King’s incredible record against Man United, or more specifically, at Old Trafford. Salah signed for the Reds in June 2017 and in truth, United have not been a really top outfit during his time at Anfield. There have been some decent performances, including in 2017/18 when they were second in the PL and lost in the FA Cup final, and in 2020/21 when they again came second in the league and this time were also runners-up in the Europa League.
But, whilst few would rank United as a truly top-notch opponent over the last seven seasons or so, they remain probably Liverpool’s biggest rival. What’s more, Old Trafford is undoubtedly the toughest ground they visit each season in terms of atmosphere, and also the stadium that Liverpool supporters most love to win at. Over the past decade they have not enjoyed all that much success at the Theatre of Dreams.
Before the most recent clash, on the 1st of September 2024, where Salah scored one and assisted two more, Liverpool had won just two of the past 13 games between the rivals played in Manchester. That spans all competitions and does pre-date Salah’s arrival at Liverpool. Even so, when we drill down into the Egyptian’s stats, his performances at the home of his club’s biggest rivals have been genuinely astounding.
Key Stats About Salah’s Old Trafford Performances
Salah has been incredible for Liverpool for many years, bagging at least 18 league goals in every single season since he arrived. His best output by far came in his debut season, when he registered a then-record 32, but whilst his overall goalscoring record has dipped a little since that blistering start, his performances at Old Trafford have got better and better.
- Has scored in past seven visits to Old Trafford
- 10 goals at Old Trafford since January 2021
- Only four players (including United ones!) have scored more at Old Trafford since the 24th of January 2021
- Only opposition player to score a PL hat-trick at Old Trafford
Looking at his overall stats versus Man United in the Premier League, we can see that Salah has netted 11 goals. In addition, he has provided six assists. In the three decades (and then some) history of the PL, no player has more goal involvements against the Red Devils than Salah’s 17. His latest strike means that he also has 15 goals in 16 games against United in all competitions, the most he has scored against any single opponent. Throw in his many assists against Liverpool’s most-hated rival, and, he is clocking up goal involvements at better than one per game against the Red Devils.
Highlights
Let us return to the more specific subject of this article by looking at Salah’s Old Trafford highlights. And in truth, there can only be one place to start.
Historic Hat-trick Hero
On the 24th of October 2021, Man United suffered one of their most embarrassing results at Old Trafford as Jurgen Klopp’s men put them to the sword, winning 5-0. Salah was the chief destroyer that day, netting a brilliant treble, the first time an opposition player had managed that at Old Trafford in the Premier League. He came into the game having scored in the previous nine, so his form was ominous and it is safe to say he enjoyed his trip to Old Trafford.
The Egyptian ace moved to 107 PL goals with his hat-trick and became the highest-scoring African player in the history of the competition (and indeed English top-flight history). Salah was truly at his peak in this period and was unplayable at times and, with Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo past their best, many felt he was the best in the world.
He provided the assist for the game’s opener, scored by Naby Keita after just five minutes. Diogo Joya made it 2-0 and then Salah went wild, scoring after 38 minutes, in stoppage time at the end of the first half, and then the fifth after 50 minutes to complete his hat-trick. In the end United and their fans were simply thankful it was only five.
More History for Mo
In April 2024 the teams played out a 2-2 draw in the league, Liverpool nicking a point thanks to a late Salah penalty. This was Mo’s sixth goal at the stadium in the league, meaning he overtook Steven Gerrard to become the sole record holder in terms of goals scored by an opposing player in the league at Old Trafford.
200th Game and Another Win at Old Trafford
On the 13th of May 2021, Salah stepped out onto the Old Trafford turf to make his 200th appearance for Liverpool. The visitors won 4-2 and the main man made sure of the points late on, on the break, with his 21st league goal of the campaign. It took his tally for the Reds to 124 goals (all competitions), a tally that only two Liverpool players have bettered in their first 200 games for the club.