PREMIER LEAGUE
Mohamed Salah sets new Premier League opening day goals record
The Egyptian doubled Liverpool’s lead at Portman Road in Arne Slot’s first official game in charge. In doing so, he overtook three Premier League legends.
No player enjoys the opening day of the Premier League season quite like Mohamed Salah. The Liverpool forward was on target in this afternoon’s 0-2 win against Ipswich at Portman Road in new manager Arne Slot’s first official game in charge.
Salah goal and assist on the opening day
Diogo Jota had broken the deadlock after a tense first hour for the visitors, with Salah providing the assist. Five minutes later, the Egyptian was free to poke in from close range, doubling the lead and getting himself off the mark in the new campaign.
Mohamed Salah's EPL opening day strikes
- 17 August 2024 Ipswich 0-2 Liverpool
- 6 August 2022 Fulham 2-2 Liverpool
- 14 August 2021 Norwich 0-3 Liverpool
- 12 September 2020 Liverpool 4-3 Leeds (2)
- 9 August 2019 Liverpool 4-1 Norwich
- 12 August 2018 Liverpool 4-0 West Ham
- 12 August 2017 Watford 3-3 Liverpool
Most opening day goals in the Premier League
- 9 Mohamed Salah
- 8 Frank Lampard
- 8 Wayne Rooney
- 8 Alan Shearer
- 7 Sergio Agüero
- 7 Teddy Sheringham
- 7 Jamie Vardy
It was Salah’s ninth goal on the opening day of the Premier League - taking him past Frank Lampard, Wayne Rooney and Alan Shearer - all with a total of eight matchday 1 goals during their respective careers.
Incredibly, in the eight seasons that Salah has spent at Anfield, he has scored on the first game of the league in seven.
The only time he failed to do so was last season’s opener against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. Luis Díaz found the net for the Reds in the 1-1 opening day draw while Salah opened his account in the next match, against Bournemouth.
In total, Mo has racked up a total of nine goals in opening day games, scoring in matchday 1 in six consecutive seasons. His victims include: Watford, West Ham, Norwich, Leeds (a brace in the 4-3 win on 12 September 2020), Fulham and now Ipswich.
Today’s strike against Ipswich takes Salah’s overall tally to 212 goals for Liverpool, where he is the fifth top goal scorer of all-time. He is now just 16 goals away from equalling the great Billy Liddell, the club’s legendary Scottish winger from the 1940s and 50s although Liddell’s haul came in 534 games compared to Mo’s 350 first team appearances.