Erling Haaland is on the verge of breaking Mohamed Salah’s Premier League record for most goals in a single season, but the Liverpool talisman will respond
Mohamed Salah could lose one of his most illustrious records in English football over the next week. In his debut season for Liverpool in 2017/18, the Egyptian forward scored 32 Premier League goals, becoming the first player to do so since the competition was reduced to 38 games rather than 42 in 1995/96.
Since then, the Reds’ talisman has held the record, but this season, a certain Erling Haaland appears poised to set a new high mark. Salah’s special total was equaled by the Manchester City striker.
The Norwegian international could end up with around 40 goals, which would be a record on English soil. Salah won’t be happy about losing his record when it happens in the coming weeks, but he may have a platform to come back next season.
Salah has averaged around 3.8 shots per 90 minutes during his Liverpool career, which is a healthy amount in comparison to his peers. This season, he has the lowest average for a single season at Anfield, around 3.2 per 90 minutes, and much of that is due to his team’s ongoing struggles.
The Reds have struggled on the field in recent months, finishing eighth in the Premier League table and exiting every cup competition on the calendar. Last summer, Jürgen Klopp needed to upgrade his tired and worn midfield department, but the German didn’t realize his costly oversight until it was too late.
Because of their jaded engine room, Liverpool has struggled to control matches since then, which has resulted in Salah almost losing his platform to pose a threat in the final third. The 30-year-old is reliant on the system around him, and Klopp’s preferred 4-3-3 has mostly failed him.
The Anfield club must improve over the summer, and if their last two performances are any indication of what is to come on Merseyside next season, Salah may have enough firepower to challenge Haaland at the top.
Earlier this month, Klopp made the decision to implement a new tactical concept. On defense, the 4-3-3 formation remained unchanged, but with the ball, the Reds formed a new-look 3-2-5 formation.
Trent Alexander-Arnold was instructed to move into central midfield from his usual right-back position to play alongside Fabinho, with left-back Andy Robertson tucking inside to form a back three alongside Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konaté.
Liverpool has scored eight goals in two games using the new formation, against Arsenal and Leeds United, with Salah taking 12 shots and finding the back of the net three times. His recent involvement was not by chance, as it resulted from the dynamics of the 3-2-5 formation.
As a result of Alexander-Arnold‘s rightward drift, passing lanes in the direction of Salah have opened up on a regular basis, as he is frequently left alone on the right flank, free to engage in one-on-one duels with his direct opponents.
He had nine shots against Arsenal alone, the most he’s ever had in a single Premier League game in his illustrious career. He’s also had his two most touches this season in his last two games, with his teammates simply being able to find him more often than ever before.
If the 3-2-5 formation becomes Klopp’s new go-to option for next season and beyond, Salah could benefit from his increased involvement. Haaland is on the verge of winning the Premier League, but the Liverpool star could be back in contention sooner rather than later.
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