Mohamed Salah’s quest for a third Premier League Golden Boot is getting in the way of Liverpool’s attempts to qualify for the Champions League, according to BBC Sport pundit Garth Crooks.
With 20 league goals this season, Salah is currently one strike behind Harry Kane in the running, with the Egyptian facing four more matches this season and Kane three.
Both forwards have picked up two Golden Boots in their careers, with Kane taking the honours in 2015/16 and 2016/17 – the two seasons prior to Salah’s arrival at Liverpool – and then Salah winning it outright in 2017/18 and then sharing it with his Liverpool teammate Sadio Mane and Arsenal’s Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang in 2018/19.
Jamie Vardy picked up the honour for the first time in his career last season, but this campaign has seen another shootout between Kane and Salah.
Crooks thinks that has overshadowed Liverpool’s attempts to finish for the top four, as he questioned Salah’s impact on some of his teammates.
“This is the first time I’ve seen Thiago Alcantara really play well for Liverpool. I don’t think it has been easy for the former Bayern Munich star to settle in at Anfield,” he wrote.
“The Spain international took his goal very well and played with an authority I haven’t seen before. Granted, it’s been a difficult season for the Reds especially without their fans.
“With four games left to play and a Champions League spot up for grabs I can’t tell whether Liverpool have what it takes to make up the six-point gap at such a late stage in the season.
“Mohamed Salah only seems interested in the Golden Boot and I think that is having a negative effect on some of his teammates.”
As well as his 20 goals, Salah has registered four assists for Liverpool this season and teed up Mane’s opening goal against Southampton.
Kane, meanwhile, has 13 assists to go with his 21 goals.