If Liverpool's 9-0 victory over Bournemouth was not surprising enough, that Mohamed Salah failed to have a hand in any of the goals seems an even greater mystery.
Ever since arriving at Anfield in the summer of 2017, the Egyptian has ended each season as the Reds' top scorer in all competitions. The likes of Diogo Jota, Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane have chipped in with their fair share during this period, though it has been the 30-year-old leading the way time and time again for Jurgen Klopp's side.
The rare occasions whereby Salah is not on the scoresheet, he manages to contribute to the team's success by turning provider. In addition to the 31 goals netted in all competitions last term, the former Roma winger registered an impressive 16 assists in the process.
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Saturday afternoon marked a rare occasion in which Salah had no involvement in any of the nine strikes sent past Bournemouth goalkeeper Mark Travers, a reality few could have imagined had they been informed Liverpool had recorded such an emphatic result. The prolific forward either scored or assisted in 69 per cent of the Reds' league fixtures during the 2021/22 season, highlighting just how often he has the final say in matches for Klopp's men.
Such are the high standards Salah sets himself, he was naturally disappointed not to have played a significant role in the demolition of the Cherries - but his individual concern can instead be viewed as a collective positive. Liverpool had six separate scorers at the weekend, with Luis Diaz (2), Harvey Elliott, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Roberto Firmino (2), Virgil van Dijk and Fabio Carvalho among the goals.
If Klopp's men are to mount a sustained title bid in the months ahead, not allowing Salah to shoulder the sole responsibility of scoring goals could prove of paramount importance. While there can be no questioning the attacking output of the Reds' forward line of recent years, various members of the midfield department have failed to deliver in the same manner.
Fabinho (8) ended the previous campaign as the club's highest-scoring midfielder in all competitions, three of which were penalties, with the combined tallies of Naby Keita (4), Jordan Henderson (2) and Thiago Alcantara (2) not even stretching to double figures.
Elliott and Carvalho are two individuals capable of ensuring things could be about to change for the better in this area, having both breached the Bournemouth backline with two fine finishes. Salah will back himself to repeat his standout statistics once again this season, but how many others within the team will continue to offer a helping hand for the Egypt international along the way?
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