On a day when Liverpool began to write a new chapter with Arne Slot at the helm, it was a familiar face who stole the show. Mohamed Salah, the Egyptian star, showed once again why he is considered a living legend at the club. In the opening game of the 2024/25 season, Salah not only secured victory over newly promoted Ipswich Town, but also made history by making 350 appearances for the Reds.
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Ipswich Town, who were returning to the top flight of English soccer after 22 long years, started the game with surprising momentum. The team showed no fear, pressed forward and created chances, leaving the Reds fans a little apprehensive. But in soccer, there are times when individual quality prevails over the team, and that's exactly what happened when Salah decided it was time to make a difference.
At the start of the second half, with the game still in a lull, Salah received the ball at the back of the defense. With a touch of genius, he found Diogo Jota free, who only had to push the ball into the back of the net. And it didn't stop there. The midfielder exchanged passes with Szoboszlai, who tried to return the ball, but Davis couldn't cut it out and the Egyptian's deflection allowed him to extend Liverpool's lead. A goal that, as well as sealing the victory, put him ahead of legends like Wayne Rooney and Frank Lampard, with the most goals in the first round of the Premier League.
In soccer, records are there to be broken, and Salah seems to have been born for it. He had already scored on his debut in eight consecutive seasons, and now, at the start of his new era with Slot, the No. 11 has shown that he still has plenty of gas left in the tank. With 212 goals for Liverpool, he is fast approaching Billy Liddell, another club icon. The difference? While Liddell needed 534 games to reach his mark, Salah is just 16 goals away from equaling it in an impressive 350 appearances.
But what makes Salah special is not just his ability to decide games or break records. It's his humility, reflected in his words after the match. “It was quite difficult today, to be fair. The weather was hot, but the team is strong and I'm happy we won,” he said. At a time when any other player could easily focus on his personal achievements, Salah preferred to highlight the team's victory, showing why he is a born leader both on and off the pitch.
The new captain, Arne Slot, will sleep well after the final whistle. Replacing an icon like Jürgen Klopp is no easy task, and Slot, with his different tactical approach, knew he would need time to get the team to absorb his ideas. Fortunately, he has in Salah a player who can be the bridge between the old and the new, a point of reference for the rest of the team during this transition.