By: Michael Sherman
JOHANNESBURG - Egyptian striker Mohamed Salah broke another record over the weekend when he became the first Liverpool player to score in the opening league game in four successive seasons.
Salah, 28, scored a hat-trick in the defending English Premier League (EPL) champion Liverpool’s 4-3 win over newly-promoted Leeds United at Anfield on Saturday.
He also became the first Liverpool player to score a hat-trick on the opening day of the season.
Salah scored the opening goal of the game through a penalty in the fourth minute, bagged his brace 12 minutes before the break before netting the winner - again from the spot - in the 88th minute.
Salah has reached 50 goals in only 63 home league games, only the legendary Alan Shearer managed that in fewer games.
Salah was Liverpool’s top scorer in the league last season with 19 strikes. Salah ended four goals behind Leicester City’s Jamie Vardy who was the top-scorer last season in the EPL with 23 strikes.
WATCH: Egyptian Mo Salah already back to breaking records in new E @premierleague season:@AfriNewsAgency pic.twitter.com/oRqcIph8pv
— IOL Sport (@IOLsport) September 14, 2020
In the 2018/2019 EPL season, Senegal’s Sadio Mane shared the Golden Boot crown with Salah and Arsenal’s Gabonese front-man Pierre Emerick Aubameyang, all three having netted 22 times for their respective clubs. On top of that, Mane scored 39 goals across all competitions for Liverpool in the 2018/2019 season.
Salah is already a two-time winner of the African Player of the Year award - claiming the title in 2017 and 2018.
The former Chelsea player in his debut season (2017/2018) for Liverpool, Salah scored a phenomenal 32 goals from 36 league matches.
In the 2018/2019 season he scored 22 goals after appearing in all 38 matches.
African News Agency (ANA)