Salah on Liverpool contract stand-off: ´It´s in my head´

Mohamed Salah reiterated his uncertainty over his Liverpool future, acknowledging his contract situation was getting “in his head”.

Salah set up Cody Gakpo’s opener and then scored Liverpool’s second in a dominant 2-0 win over Manchester City at Anfield on Sunday.

The Egyptian has now scored and assisted in 36 Premier League games, the joint-most by a player in the competition’s history, equalling Wayne Rooney’s record.

Despite Salah’s sensational form this season, a cloud hangs over him, with the 32-year-old having said last week Liverpool were yet to offer him a new deal.

Salah’s contract runs out at the end of the 2024-25 campaign, and as it stands, he will be leaving the Reds.

He told Sky Sports: “Honestly, it’s in my head. Right now, this is the last City game I will play for Liverpool [at Anfield], so I was just going to enjoy it.

“The atmosphere was incredible so I will enjoy every second here. Hopefully, we just win the league and will see what will happen.”

Reflecting on the electric Anfield atmosphere, Salah said: “It’s very special. I don’t take it for granted. I’m enjoying every minute here. It feels like home.

“It’s always a special feeling always scoring at Anfield and winning games.”

36 – Mohamed Salah has scored and assisted in a Premier League game for the 36th time; the joint-most by a player in the competition’s history, equalling Wayne Rooney’s record (36). King. pic.twitter.com/2RZVfB5mtz

— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) December 1, 2024

Liverpool are now nine points clear at the top of the table, while they moved 11 points ahead of fifth-placed City, who lost a fourth straight league match.

Virgil van Dijk turned in a sensational performance at the back for the Reds, making a game-high seven clearances, while he might have scored early on if not for a fine stop from Stefan Ortega, who nudged the Dutchman’s header onto the post.

“I think City are a fantastic team. Four-time champions in a row,” Van Dijk told Sky Sports.

“They have the quality to punish any team. But I think we were solid defensively and had great chances. We could have scored more.”

Van Dijk has experience of leading Liverpool to a Premier League title, having done so back in 2019-20, but he insists the Reds must keep their feet on the ground.

“We focus on the next game. That’s the only thing we can do. There’s no point at this stage of the season to get ahead of ourselves,” he added.

“Of course, everybody wants to be in a position where they are 11 points ahead of their opponents. But there’s so many twists and turns. We have injuries to our team, unfortunately, and we have to deal with that.”

Liverpool face Newcastle United on Wednesday before taking on Everton, who were thrashed 4-0 by Manchester United on Sunday, in the final league Merseyside derby at Goodison Park.