It was a disappointing result for Liverpool against Chelsea as they dominated the game and were unlucky to come away with only a draw. The Reds always seem to up their game against the big teams and they did it once again. Things have not gone great for Klopp this season as the defensive problems were not solved during the summer transfer market. If they had known how well Mohamed Salah was going to perform they may well have sold Coutinho for over 100 million as he has outperformed the Brazilian so far this season.
Salah is on fire this campaign and already has 10 goals in the EPL in 12 games and a further 4 in 5 games in the Champions League to his name. That is an extremely impressive return for a winger and makes him one of the best in the world on current form. Coutinho has only played 7 matches in the EPL so far and has managed a return of 3 goals along with a further 2 in 3 in the Champions League. You can see the odds for Liverpool’s matches in the Champions League on Wincomparator.
If you asked most Liverpool fans who they would rather keep Coutinho or Salah most would now pick the Egyptian. His electric pace scares defenses and now he knows where the back of the net is, he is becoming the main man for the team. Coutinho has not set the world on fire this season and maybe his head is somewhere else as he does not look like a player that is worth more than 100 million.
In recent matches, Oxlade Chamberlain is starting to prove his worth and if he continues to improve he could fill the boots of Coutinho. He was one of the stands outperformers in the Chelsea match and is taking his chance thanks to the injury crisis Liverpool are suffering from. The former Arsenal man was excellent at tracking back and was always trying to beat his man to set up attacks.
Mohamed Salah is now the top goal scorer in the Premier League and is one goal above Tottenham prolific goalscorer Harry Kane. He has managed a goal every 102 minutes in the EPL compared with Kane’s 115 minutes. On top of that, he also has an extra assist managing 2 compared to Kane’s 1. The Egyptian is vital for Liverpool and without him this campaign it would have spelled disaster. If the Reds are going to make the top four this campaign they will need their pacy winger to stay fully fit until the end of the season.
Liverpool plays away at Stoke City in their next match and then again away to Brighton. These are games that they should win but over recent seasons it has been their Achilles heel. With the form that Salah is on, they will be looking for him to help the team grab the goals needed to pick up all six points before the busy December period starts. If he does continue his stunning form it may be Salah rather than Coutinho who Barca try to steal during the 2018 summer transfer window instead.