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Liverpool superstar Mohamed Salah has admitted he was happy to make a difference after inspiring the Reds to a 2-0 win against Ipswich Town in their Premier League opener. The Egyptian King starred in the clash at Portman Road, scoring one goal and providing one assist on Saturday, August 17.
Despite struggling to make much of an impact in the first half, Salah made a valiant comeback in the second half against Ipswich. The 32-year-old provided a sublime assist for Diogo Jota to open the scoring in the 60th minute.
Salah then got on the scoresheet five minutes later, finding the bottom-left corner after some clever interplay with Dominik Szoboszlai. Liverpool were impressive in the second half but were unable to add to their advantage, settling for a 2-0 win - their first under new boss Arne Slot.
Following the game, Salah spoke to TNT Sports, where he said (via Liverpool's official website):
"It was quite tough today to be fair. The weather is really warm today but it’s a tough team and I’m glad that we won the game today. I am always happy to make the difference for the team, that’s the most important thing, that the team won the game, so we just need to carry on."
When asked if it was tough to face a newly-promoted side, he added:
"Yeah, definitely. When they play at home especially it is quite tough. First game of the season, the crowd is always up and they always push them forward. It’s quite tough, we knew that before the game – we have played for many years now in the Premier League so we have that experience. So, yeah, we expected a tough game."
In addition, Salah was the highest-rated player during the game with an 8.5 rating, as per FotMob. He had two goal contributions, created two chances, landed three shots on target, and delivered three accurate long balls with a 100 percent success rate.
"I’ll keep going like this through the whole season" - Liverpool superstar Mohamed Salah makes bold claim after breaking PL record
Mohamed Salah was all smiles after guiding Liverpool to a 2-0 win on Saturday. He broke a prestigious Premier League record, becoming the first-ever player to score nine goals on opening day in the Premier League. This feat took Salah above the likes of Alan Shearer, Frank Lampard, and Wayne Rooney.
From the aforementioned interview, Salah was asked what made him so productive on the opening day of seasons in particular. He replied:
"I don’t know! Hopefully I’ll keep going like this through the whole season, not just the first game! I try to help the team all the time. The most important thing is that the team wins the game. I’m always happy to score goals and to give assists so I just need to carry on."
Salah continues to be one of the most consistent players the Premier League has ever seen despite being linked to the Saudi Pro League. He has now scored 212 goals and provided 88 assists (300 goal contributions) in 350 appearances across all competitions for Liverpool.
