West Ham United defender Emerson Palmieri has praised the speed of Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah.
Emerson came up against Salah on Sunday, the Italian failing to keep his old Roma teammate quiet at Anfield.
And speaking to The Kelly & Wrighty Show the day after the game, the £15m full-back was asked how he found dealing with Liverpool’s Egyptian King.
“I know Mo very well, we played together in Roma for two or three years,” Emerson smiled.
“I played against him a lot of times in the Premier League with Chelsea and now with West Ham. It’s not easy to play against him.
“Everyone knows his qualities, his strengths. He can score every game, every time, he’s so quick.
“But I try to do my best and to stop him.”
Salah’s still got it
Perhaps Emerson did a better job than we’re giving him credit for on Sunday. Mo’s goal did come from the penalty spot after all, and it was Nayef Aguerd, not Emerson, who fouled him to set that up.
Beyond that, it wasn’t one of Salah’s more influential games of the season, and the Italy international should get credit for that.
Nevertheless, Liverpool’s No.11 still showed glimpses of why Al Ittihad are willing to break all kinds of records to sign him.
Simply put, Mo is as good as he has ever been right now. Scoring and assisting for fun, the 31-year-old is one of the most in-form players on the planet.
It’s interesting that Emerson should mention Salah’s speed, though. Although praise has deservedly been coming from all corners for the Egypt captain this campaign, that’s one area that he’s widely believed to have regressed in.
Once lighting quick across the turf, Salah is perhaps not quite the speed demon he once was. But as Emerson’s testimony shows, he hasn’t lost it.
As Mo becomes more reliant on the quickness of his brain instead of his legs, it’s good to know that he still strikes that fear into his opponents in a foot race. Is there anything he can’t do?
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