Riyad Mahrez and Mohamed Salah: The Best Players in Football
The duo of Riyad Mahrez and Mohamed Salah has been tearing up the Premier League all season, leading their team to the title in the process. Which of these two players deserves to be considered the best in football today? Let’s take a look at each player’s stats from this past season to find out who comes out on top.
Mohamed Salah
No One Can Compare To Mo! - At first glance, it might seem that Riyad Mahrez is more than a worthy challenger to Mo’s title of best player in football. However, as I will show you throughout my discussion, no one can compare to Mo when it comes to both quality of play and importance to their team.
Riyad Mahrez
Perhaps one of Leicester’s most influential players, he scored 12 goals, providing 10 assists. His influence was greater than his goal tally suggests, too—this guy really makes a difference when he plays. He won 84% of duels last season, was fouled an average of 1.6 times per game (which is quite high), made 2.4 key passes per game and held onto possession (with an average of 57% pass accuracy) for longer than anyone else at Leicester; it’s almost as if he makes time stand still for him to pick out a pass with pinpoint precision! But perhaps what is more impressive about Riyad Mahrez’ play is his composure on ball.
Riyad Mahrez vs. Mohamed Salah
FIFA World Cup 2018 proved that both these players are among best footballers on earth. Both were simply outstanding for their teams during group stages. However, in a tiebreaker, only one could make it to next round. Who would it be? If we consider previous years, then there is no doubt Riyad Mahrez was much better than Mohamed Salah. The fact is that he played really good with his team Leicester City three years ago when they won Premier League title.
What Did They Do To Get Here?
Riyad Mahrez’s journey to football’s biggest stage is a long one. Starting his career with French club Quimper, he went on to play for second-division club Le Havre before moving on to Leicester City of England’s Premier League. While making stops at European clubs such as Monaco, FC Copenhagen, and Arsenal FC, he worked to hone his skills. The hard work paid off as he earned league-wide attention after scoring for Algeria during 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifying rounds.
Where Will They Go From Here?
At just 25 years old, Salah is undoubtedly one of the best players in football. He’s proven that he has what it takes to be at one of Europe’s top clubs; now all that remains is to see where he goes from here. But will Liverpool win another league title with him? Will they win a Champions League trophy? Or perhaps even a world cup? In order for any of those things to happen, Liverpool will need more than just a strong player; they’ll need more than just goals—they’ll need teamwork. That means both team cohesion and chemistry among players.
How We Can Learn From Them?
After a successful first season with Liverpool, attacking midfielder Mohamed Salah has proven himself to be one of, if not, the best players in football. With an impressive record of thirty-one goals in thirty-eight appearances, many are beginning to compare him to Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. Even more so after his historic achievement of breaking Ruud Van Nistelrooy’s record for most goals scored by an African player in a single Premier League season. Less known is that Manchester City winger Riyad Mahrez also managed twenty-seven goals last year—twenty-two fewer than his Egyptian counterpart—in only thirty-three appearances.
Final Thoughts on Why Same Player May Win Different Years
1. Ronaldo is still in a league where he could feasibly win, given that his current run with Real Madrid has him firing on all cylinders. 2. Messi has played fewer games than either Ronaldo or Salah, having been injured for large chunks of time over the last three years. 3. Bale was runner-up to Ronaldo last year, which means it’s only natural that he wouldn’t have a chance of winning again until at least 2022. 4. Neymar hasn’t exactly been tearing up La Liga and Barcelona since joining from Santos in 2013, so it doesn’t look like he'll be taking home any Ballon d'Or awards any time soon—at least not if Messi and Ronaldo remain healthy.
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