Football writer Ben Bloom assesses Mohamed Salah's chances of entering the history books against his old club Chelsea.
A penny for the thoughts of Chelsea fans. Back when Mohamed Salah left Stamford Bridge for good in 2016, the Egyptian had not made a competitive appearance for 18 months.
Understandably, his departure prompted few raised eyebrows.
Almost a decade on, Salah’s return to his former home with champions Liverpool on Sunday could see him officially match the all-time Premier League record for goal involvements - goals and assists - in a single season.
Salah’s 46 combined goals and assists this campaign has already set new ground for goal involvements in a 38-game season. But just one more will draw him level with Andrew Cole (for Newcastle United in 1993/94) and Alan Shearer (for Blackburn Rovers in 1994/95), who both registered a record 47 in a 42-game season.
Most goal involvements in a single Premier League season
| Player | Season | Goal involvements |
| Alan Shearer (BLB) | 1994/95 | 47 |
|---|---|---|
| Andrew Cole (NEW) | 1993/94 | 47 |
| Mohamed Salah (LIV) | 2024/25 | 46 |
| Erling Haaland (MCI) | 2022/23 | 44 |
| Thierry Henry (ARS) | 2002/03 | 44 |
| Luis Suarez (LIV) | 2013/14 | 43 |
| Mohamed Salah (LIV) | 2017/18 | 42 |
| Robin van Persie (ARS) | 2011/12 | 39 |
| Didier Drogba (CHE) | 2009/10 | 39 |
| Thierry Henry (ARS) | 2004/05 | 39 |
With four fixtures still remaining, it seems a matter of when, not if, Salah will match and then surpass Cole and Shearer. There will be a certain irony if it happens at Stamford Bridge.
All-time Premier League great
Considering his lack of success as a Chelsea player – where he officially spent more time on loan than playing for the London club – it was notable just how quickly Salah took to life back in the Premier League upon his return with Liverpool.
Having scored on his top-flight debut for the Reds, Salah went on to top the 2017/18 Premier League goals chart with a tally of 32, winning him the first of what should soon be four Golden Boot awards.
Across all competitions, he scored 44 goals and registered 14 assists in that first season with Liverpool. He has not looked back since.
Salah's all-time Premier League record
| Season | Club | Apps | Mins | Goals | Assists | G+A |
| 2013/14 | Chelsea | 10 | 500 | 2 | 1 | 3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014/15 | Chelsea | 3 | 30 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2017/18 | Liverpool | 36 | 2,921 | 32 | 10 | 42 |
| 2018/19 | Liverpool | 39 | 3,256 | 22 | 8 | 30 |
| 2019/20 | Liverpool | 34 | 2,884 | 19 | 10 | 29 |
| 2020/21 | Liverpool | 37 | 3,079 | 22 | 5 | 27 |
| 2021/22 | Liverpool | 35 | 2,761 | 23 | 13 | 36 |
| 2022/23 | Liverpool | 38 | 3,294 | 19 | 12 | 31 |
| 2023/24 | Liverpool | 32 | 2,535 | 18 | 10 | 28 |
| 2024/25 | Liverpool | 34 | 3,017 | 28 | 18 | 46 |
Over his eight seasons at the club, Salah has moved third on Liverpool’s all-time top scorers’ list with 244 goals, putting him behind only Ian Rush (339) and Roger Hunt (277).
He has also claimed every major trophy available. Last weekend’s Premier League title win was Salah’s second at Liverpool, to go alongside a UEFA Champions League, FA Cup, two EFL Cups, UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup.
His place among the Premier League greats is already assured, but – having signed a new contract to keep him at Anfield for two more seasons – he could feasibly end his career top of the pile.
His goal in the 5-1 rout of Tottenham Hotspur last weekend was his 185th in the Premier League, nudging him above Sergio Aguero to fifth in the all-time goalscorers list behind Shearer (260), Harry Kane (213), Wayne Rooney (208) and Cole (187). When goals are combined with assists, he is fourth in the all-time chart.
All-time Premier League goal involvements
| Goals | Assists | Goals + Assists | |
| Alan Shearer | 260 | 64 | 324 |
| Wayne Rooney | 208 | 103 | 311 |
| Frank Lampard | 177 | 102 | 279 |
| Mohamed Salah | 185 | 87 | 272 |
| Ryan Giggs | 109 | 162 | 271 |
What marks Salah out in such illustrious company is how swiftly he has climbed towards the summit. Shearer played 441 Premier League games, Rooney 491, Frank Lampard 609 and Ryan Giggs 632. Ahead of Liverpool’s visit to Stamford Bridge, Salah has played just 297.
That he has reached such heights in just eight years is testament to his reliability. The Egyptian has never played fewer than 32 Premier League matches in a season for Liverpool, nor fewer than 44 games across all competitions.
Approaching his 33rd birthday in June, he is one of three Liverpool players – alongside Virgin van Dijk and Ryan Gravenberch – to start every Premier League game this season.
‘Hopefully I’ll break it’
It has been a remarkable 2024/25 campaign for both Liverpool and their star man who is on course for, statistically, the greatest season in the competition’s history.
The Golden Boot and Golden Playmaker double looks to be almost guaranteed, with Salah possessing a six-goal buffer at the top of the goalscoring charts and seven assists more than anyone else.
Taken separately, they are already astonishing numbers.
Should he manage to score four more goals across the remaining four matches, he would match his own Premier League best of 32 from his debut Liverpool season – a tally bettered only by Erling Haaland (36 in 2022/23), Cole (34 in 1993/94) and Shearer (34 in 1994/95).
Salah is also just two assists off the Premier League record of 20, held by Thierry Henry (in 2002/03) and Kevin De Bruyne (2019/20).
He even found time to experience something of a goal drought of late. Between late February and last weekend, his only Liverpool goals were two penalties against bottom side Southampton.
Yet his individual Premier League goal tally this season is still more than Southampton (25) and Leicester City (27) have scored in total as teams.
For all that Arne Slot has worked wonders in his first season, and the likes of Van Dijk and Gravenberch have been superb, Salah’s importance to Liverpool this season is unmatched.
Players with highest percentage of involvements in team goals
| PL 24/25 | Goals | Assists | G+A | Team Goals | % of Team Goals |
| Salah (LIV) | 28 | 18 | 46 | 80 | 57.5% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fernandes (MUN) | 8 | 9 | 17 | 39 | 43.6% |
| Isak (NEW) | 22 | 6 | 28 | 65 | 43.1% |
| Mbeumo (BRE) | 18 | 6 | 24 | 56 | 42.9% |
| Delap (IPS) | 12 | 2 | 14 | 33 | 42.4% |
Asked last weekend if he has his "eyes on a record", Salah told Sky Sports: "Goal involvements, yes, for sure. Hopefully I’m going to break it soon, I know I broke it for 38 games.
"So now I think I have one to go [to equal it]. It’s something pushing me forward to just keep going and keep working hard."
With the title wrapped up, Salah’s ambition could well become a target for the wider Liverpool collective. Against Spurs, it appeared as though some of his team-mates might have been going out of their way to help Salah add his name to the scoresheet.
Whether the involvements record is broken against Chelsea, Arsenal, Brighton & Hove Albion or Crystal Palace, it seems only a matter of time.
