Liverpool can guarantee top spot in the Premier League table on Christmas Day by defeating Tottenham Hotspur in Sunday's showdown, where a well-rested Mohamed Salah should return to the Reds' XI.
The Egypt international was given the night off as Arne Slot's men conquered Southampton 2-1 in the EFL Cup quarter-finals on Wednesday, allowing Harvey Elliott to shine in his absence as the English youngster made the net bulge at St Mary's.
However, Elliott will no doubt cede his spot to Salah as the 32-year-old bids to either score or set up a teammate for the ninth Premier League game in a row, having brought up 100 assists for Liverpool in last weekend's 2-2 draw with Fulham with a magnificent cross for Cody Gakpo to head home.
Here, Sports Mole takes a closer look at Salah's record against Tottenham ahead of Sunday's top-flight battle.
© Imago
Played: 20
Won: 12
Drawn: 5
Lost: 3
Goals: 12
Assists: 2
One of Mohamed Salah's favourite teams to play against in terms of individual goal contributions, the Liverpool winger has been directly involved in 14 strikes from 20 previous matches against Tottenham Hotspur in all competitions.
The 32-year-old has only laid on two assists against Spurs, but he has found the back of the net against them 12 times, his joint second-highest total against a single opponent - level with West Ham United and Manchester City and only behind his 15 against Manchester United.
Salah has also been involved in an identical number of wins against Spurs, losing three and drawing his other five meetings with the Lilywhites, whom he began to haunt long before he made a name for himself in the Premier League.
Indeed, Salah's first goal against Tottenham came when he was playing for Basel in the quarter-finals of the 2012-13 Europa League, and he also struck against Spurs in the same competition for Fiorentina during the 2014-15 campaign.
After returning to English soil with Liverpool, Salah scored in both Premier League meetings with Tottenham during the 2017-18 season - one away and a brace at home - but Jurgen Klopp's team failed to win either contest.
The winger did not manage a goal or assist in either Premier League scrap in 2018-19, but he set the wheels in motion in the Champions League final later that year, stroking home from the penalty spot before Divock Origi sealed the deal.
More recently, Salah scored and assisted in Liverpool's 4-2 home win over Spurs towards the end of the 2023-24 campaign, and he also netted three times against the Lilywhites in the 2022-23 top-flight season.
Should the Liverpool winger set up one goal on Sunday, he would reach double figures for both goals and assists in the 2024-25 top-flight season already; no player has ever achieved those numbers before Christmas in a single Premier League campaign.
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Ben Knapton
