The early days of the season have seen numerous Mohamed Salah masterclasses for Liverpool. The Egyptian superstar is scarcely stopped, as Manchester United found out to their cost on a humbling afternoon in late October for the Red Devils at what is supposed to be their Theatre of Dreams.
Salah added another match ball to his collection: the Reds talisman is into double figures for the season and has become the highest-scoring African in Premier League history, the first opposition player in the same competition to record a treble at Old Trafford, while also forcing his way further into Ballon d’Or contention.
No one-man band
Liverpool are far from being a one-man band. Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino are much more than extras in a thrilling Merseyside blockbuster, while the extended supporting cast continues to show that they are more than capable of being leading men.
After the first 10 games of the season, Salah had scored an impressive 10 goals from 42 shots, while Sadio Mane has hit the back of the net on six occasions out of 33 shots and Roberto Firmino four with 12 attempts at goal. This type of data is important as it can be used in a range of areas including informing betting, which bookmakers have acknowledged as they use services such as Pronet, which is online sportsbook software that utilises local-data journalists and umpires/referees to provide fast and accurate data. Naturally, having data readily available on their sites as part of their service provides a more convenient experience for the consumer and this area is only likely to continue growing.
With Liverpool's forward line firing on all cylinders it's no wonder that bookmakers are predicting that another title challenge could very well be on the cards for the club. After all, they're currently poised as third-favourites in the race for the Premier League title. Having ended 30 years of hurt in 2020, the wait for another crown should be considerably shorter.
Helping to lead that charge to victory will be Jordan Henderson. The man that got his hands on long-awaited silverware will likely be aspiring to repeat those celebrations in front of a full house. He may not dominate headlines in that quest, but his value to the collective cause remains without question.
England international Henderson can sail under the radar at times, for club and country, but his biggest supporters remain his most important – namely Klopp and a legion of Reds fans around the world. Henderson’s showing against United in late October summed him up perfectly. Others did the damage, but without him, a well-oiled machine would not have ticked over as smoothly as it did.
We also need to talk about that assist. A week earlier, Salah nonchalantly curled a pass with the outside of his left boot into the path of the partner in crime Mane to open the scoring at Watford. Plaudits rained down on Liverpool’s No.11 as comparisons were drawn with Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
The angle.
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) October 25, 2021
The assist.
The finish.
The away end.
Everything about this video is absolutely beautiful pic.twitter.com/Cd6TfoCSpb
In Manchester, Henderson produced similar magic with his right foot. A perfectly weighted pass early in the second half against United allowed Salah to complete his hat trick without breaking stride. Social media went into meltdown again, with Salah still the star attraction.
No complaints
Henderson could be forgiven for wanting a larger slice of the adoration pie. He will not ask for it, though. As long as everybody else eats well, the Reds skipper will settle for leftovers.
The humble, unsung hero is the role he has been given, and he continues to play it at an Oscar-esque level. The big awards will not come his way – no PFA prizes or Golden Balls – but plenty of superheroes operate in the shadows, and not all of them wear capes.
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