Former Liverpool great Phil Thompson has said that be believes Reds attacker Mohamed Salah will have a massive say in this season’s Premier League title race.
The Egyptian has come under fire in some quarters for a relatively down year after his phenomenal campaign last time out, but Thompson believes he could be the key man down the stretch here, while having his say on Liverpool’s title rivals Manchester City.
“It has been difficult for Mohamed Salah, because he is now more of a marked man, people double up on him,” he told Sky Sports. “But for me, Salah will still have a massive say in this title run-in.
“But if you look at the changes City have made, it’s incredible. It’s always for top-quality players. You just think: wow. Nicolas Otamendi comes in, Aymeric Laporte, Vincent Kompany, John Stones. He can do it with the full-backs, the midfield, the front lads.”
OPINION
Salah is certainly going to be a key man as the season draws to a close, there’s no doubt about that. Therefore it makes sense that Thompson believes Salah can make a difference in the Premier League title race. This has been a funny campaign for him, because he’s actually played very well. Unfortunately he’s constantly being compared to what he did last season, while at the same time teams are paying him more attention then they ever did last time out. So it’s been difficult at times for him, but he has still been a huge player for Liverpool. He will, of course, be just that down the stretch, as well. His talent could be the difference between three points and one in tight games for the Reds, which could then be pivotal in the title race. As for Thompson’s City comments, they are pretty spot on. The strength in depth that Pep Guardiola has in his squad is quite incredible. You look at the centre backs listed above, they are all world class defenders. It’s the same story in midfield and up front, too. That’s the kind of juggernaut the Reds are up against, but they’ve done alright so far. Now they just have to close the show in style.
