Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah is ‘brutally difficult’ to play against, and is one of the two best players in the Premier League.
So says Leeds United defender Robin Koch. Speaking to Bild, the £13m man Koch said that Salah’s only rival for best player in the country is Manchester City’s Kevin De Bruyne.
“If I had to pick two (best players in the Premier League), I would name Salah and De Bruyne,” said the Germany international. “For one simple reason: they are brutally difficult to defend against, they make life difficult for you as a defender every second.”
Salah must have made a mighty impression on Koch, because he’s only actually played against him once for Leeds. The Egyptian did bag himself a hat-trick in that game though, so that’s understandable!
Salah or De Bruyne the only option
Koch is right on the money here. It’s hard to argue against the two best players currently plying their trade in England being Salah and De Bruyne.
They’re widely seen as the two best players for the two best teams. Of course, both clubs have players who could dispute this. Virgil Van Dijk would be top of that pile and perhaps Erling Haaland will soon have his own stake to claim.
Other clubs have players who could throw their hats into the ring, too. But perhaps the only other outstanding candidate is Tottenham’s Harry Kane. The rest belong to Liverpool or City.
Mo gets his opening day record
Salah was quiet as Liverpool kicked off their Premier League season on Saturday, but he still got his goal.
The instinctive rolled finish was the 30-year-old’s eighth on the opening day of the campaign. That drew him level with the likes of Alan Shearer as a Premier League record.
It also marked the sixth consecutive year that Mo had found the net on opening day. That beat his own record, which he set the year before.
He may not always feel he gets the credit he deserves, but Koch’s testimony is more evidence that his peers recognise him as the special footballer that he is.
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