Danny Murphy would still select the struggling Liverpool star over the Arsenal man
Former Liverpool midfielder Danny Murphy would still pick Mohammed Salah over Arsenal star Bukayo Saka.
Salah was the outstanding player in the Premier League last season, as his goals and assists propelled the Reds to the title. He signed a new contract with the club in the summer, although this season he has been well below his best.
The 33-year-old has four goals from 11 top-flight appearances. Liverpool have struggled overall too, as they sit in eighth place in the table despite an outlay of around £450 million on new players in the summer.
Arsenal have capitalised to move clear at the top of the table; they are four points ahead of Manchester City and eight ahead of the Reds.
Saka has been a key player for the Gunners, yet when asked to pick between the two Murphy still went with the Liverpool star.
“I’d probably just still go with Salah because he can score goals from anywhere,” he said on talkSPORT. “I’d probably just still go with Salah (over Saka) because he can score goals from anywhere,” Murphy said. “You know, he’s just got this knack of scoring unbelievable goals more regularly.
“Giving Salah the license to not defend against a left-back who loves going forward and isn’t even a left-back in [Nico] O’Reilly, who has been brilliant recently, I couldn’t believe what I was watching to be honest (against Manchester City).
“I don’t know how he (Arne Slot) can keep watching the same thing and not change it. And it’s not like Salah can’t do the running, he hasn’t asked him to see if he can. He doesn’t have to do it every single time, but he has spent so long not doing it.
“Last season, Salah came out and said he was enjoying it more because he doesn’t have to defend as much as he did with Jurgen Klopp.
“But it’s just time and time again, and I don’t think he needs to be dropped because he’s such a threat, but I think you’ve got to tell him to defend.”
Saka only has three goals in the Premier League this season and is yet to register an assist in the competition.
The Gunners’ excellent early-season form has largely been founded on the basis of an excellent defence. They have conceded just five goals in 11 Premier League games.
Saka is slowly getting up to speed again after missing almost a month earlier in the campaign with a hamstring issue. The winger scored a brilliant goal for England on Wednesday in the 2-0 win over Serbia.
