It was snowing in Liverpool on December 10 last year, with the Merseyside derby at Anfield in full flow.
And despite the tricky conditions, Mohamed Salah produced an excellent goal to put Liverpool 1-0 up against Everton.
Having received the ball at the edge of the box, Salah twisted his way out of one tackle and then sped past another defender, before curling it into the top corner.
It was like a trademark Lionel Messi goal.
ICYMI, @MoSalah is a #Puskás award winner! #FIFAFootballAwards
👇THAT sensational derby day goal👇 pic.twitter.com/ulA1jSP6sl
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) September 25, 2018
So, wonderful strike… but the best of the season? That is what fans from around the world thought when they voted for Salah to receive the Puskas Award at the Fifa Football Awards in London on Monday night.
Salah won 38 percent of the vote, but for me, there were at least FIVE other nominated goals that were better – Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale, Ricardo Quaresma, Benjamin Pavard and Riley McGree.
Ronaldo’s stupendous bicycle kick to score for Real Madrid against Juventus in the Champions League was unbelievable, and so too was his then-teammate Bale’s similar effort in the final against Liverpool.
Either one of those goals would’ve been more appropriate for the Puskas Award, with my vote going with Ronaldo for the sheer athleticism he displayed in taking a few steps backwards and launching himself high to slam an awkward cross that was swinging away from the goal-mouth.
What makes Salah’s award even more questionable is the fact that it wasn’t even the Premier League Goal of the Month for December (it went to Bournemouth’s Jermaine Defoe), let alone the Goal of the Season (Sofiane Boufal of Southampton).
Even Salah’s own Liverpool teammate James Milner poked fun at the award, tweeting: “‘Congrats @MoSalah on your 7th best goal from last season winning goal of the year #Baller #Topbin #oneofmanyworldies”
Congrats @MoSalah on your 7th best goal from last season winning goal of the year 😜 #Baller #Topbin #oneofmanyworldies https://t.co/OkNMlIsNLb