For the final time at Goodison Park, Liverpool and Everton will cross paths in a Premier League Merseyside derby when they open the weekend's action on Saturday lunchtime.
The Reds have a seven-point advantage to protect at the summit of the top-flight table, having seen their unassailable lead at the top cut down by two points in midweek thanks to their 3-3 draw with Newcastle United.
However, Liverpool's setback was of no fault of the electrifying Mohamed Salah, who had a direct hand in all of his team's goals at St James' Park, scoring two of his own and setting up Curtis Jones.
The 32-year-old has now scored and assisted in more Premier League games than any other player, overtaking Wayne Rooney's record in midweek, and he is no stranger to a Merseyside derby strike either.
Ahead of Saturday's marquee encounter, Sports Mole takes a closer look at how Salah has performed against Everton in the past.
Mohamed Salah's record vs. Everton
Played: 11
Won: 5
Drawn: 4
Lost: 2
Goals: 7
Assists: 1
© Imago
Salah first encountered Everton in Premier League action during his forgettable period at Chelsea, although he was an unused substitute in a pair of wins during the 2013-14 and 2014-15 seasons before departing for Serie A.
Upon his return to English soil, though, Salah quickly made his presence felt against Everton and scored on his first appearance against the Toffees, breaking the deadlock at Anfield in December 2017 before Wayne Rooney equalised for the visitors.
However, Salah failed to make the cut for the return fixture at Goodison Park due to injury, before drawing a pair of blanks in the 2018-19 season and finding himself on the bench for both derbies in the Reds' title-winning 2019-20 campaign.
The former Chelsea attacker did open his Goodison Park account in October 2020, but Liverpool were pegged back on two occasions in that 2-2 draw, while also losing Virgil van Dijk to his excruciating ACL injury.
© Reuters
Salah was then unable to prevent Liverpool from slumping to a 2-0 Anfield loss in February 2021, but his Merseyside fortunes quickly a turn for the better, either scoring or assisting in three of his four appearances against the Toffees across the 2021-22 and 2022-23 Premier League seasons.
The Egyptian netted twice in a 4-1 Goodison Park crushing in December 2021, where his second goal was Liverpool's 500th in the Premier League under Klopp and also saw him become the first Reds player to directly contribute to a goal in seven successive games in the competition.
Salah then provided an inch-perfect cross for Andy Robertson to head home in a 2-0 Anfield success later that season, and while his powers waned in a goalless Goodison draw in September 2022, he got back on track with the first of the night in a 2-0 triumph back in February 2023.
The opening Merseyside derby of the 2023-24 term also saw Salah strike both of the Reds' goals in a 2-0 success, but he and his teammates cut tepid figures in a 2-0 Goodison loss in April 2024, just his second defeat from 11 games against Liverpool's bitter foes.
Ben Knapton
