Mohamed Salah, the Pharaoh ready to reign / C1 / Gr. B / Liverpool-Atlético / SOFOOT.com – sofoot.com

On April 3, Egypt celebrated with great pomp the arrival of 22 mummies at the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization. Among the stars of the convoy, Queen Hatshepsut and King Ramses II. Who could very well be joined in a few decades by another Pharaoh, in the person of Mohamed Salah. The striker shines more than ever at the start of the season, already charging 15 goals and 6 assists in 13 games. Anfield was not mistaken in singing to his glory after barely 10 minutes of play on Saturday against Brighton. It must be said that beyond his stats, the former Roma gives the impression of walking on water.

Fresh like a roach

“We see Salah at the level of Lionel Messi. ” The words came out of the mouth of former England international Martin Keown, stunned by the marvel of the outside foot that put Sadio Mané in orbit for the opener against Watford in mid-October. An extraordinary pass for a man in a state of grace, who connects class actions and goals straight from another planet, which a six-fold Golden Ball would certainly not deny. Against Manchester City, getting rid of four opponents. Against Watford, again, when he got out of a vice of three players by some sort of sleight of hand, feigned the shot to get back on his left foot, then concluded in the small opposite net. Ben Foster barely makes a gesture, aware of being helpless in the face of the diamond.

If Salah walks so hard, it is also because he did not play any international competition this summer, Liverpool not having released him for the Olympics. For the first time since 2017, the Egyptian was able to give himself a real summer break – seven weeks, just that – and follow up with a full preseason, from July 12. “The top players need a break. After strong emotional periods, a lot of finals, intense seasons, it’s good for them to take a break. If you want to be regular, you have to respect the recovery process. Not just between matches, but also between seasons ” , emphasized Pep Lijnders after the victory at Old Trafford. Salah also didn’t have to spend too much energy during the international break in September, having only played in one of his three games – his club not allowing him to play. in countries on the UK government’s Red List. We see the result.

Marginal gains to get to the top

This insolent success is not by chance. On his YouTube channel, Ben Foster told precisely how the star asked him which way he would have plunged in the event of a penalty: ” I said to myself : “Oh my god he’s so professional, so lively. He wants to be the best he can be.” […] All goalies are researching forwards, and regarding Mo Salah, his last five penalties have gone to the goalkeeper’s right. So I answered him: “I would have dived to my right because you put your last five penalties on the right.” A big smile appeared on his face, and he said: “Thanks. I need to know.” So, not content with winning the game 5-0, scoring a goal, being the man of the match and scoring an incredible goal, he needs to know all the little details for his next game. And for me … that’s why Mo Salah is at the top. ” Three days later, The Egyptian transformed the victory penalty against Atlético.

The proof that he does not neglect any detail, further evidenced by his swimming pool session at 2 am after the success snatched against AC Milan. “If you tell him to be there half an hour before training, he’ll be there an hour before” , LFC fitness man Andreas Kornmayer reports. “When you accept where you are, you relax and you risk starting to descend, said the person to Sky Sports. Once you set yourself the next goal, then the next goal, it motivates you. This is how you do great things. ” For example, becoming Africa’s top scorer in Premier League history or registering a resounding hat-trick against Manchester United, a first for a visitor to Old Trafford since Brazilian Ronaldo. “Right now he’s the best. I see him every day. There is Lewandowski, Ronaldo, Messi, Mbappé, but at the moment he is undoubtedly at the top of this list ” , assures Klopp. A form which, failing to make him a contender for the Ballon d’Or 2021, for which he leaves with delay, could launch him towards the supreme reward in 2022.

By Quentin Ballue