Liverpool: Mo Salah delivers a treat and breaks more records

Liverpool and Mohamed Salah thrashed Manchester United 7-0 (Premier League, matchday 26) in the north-west derby on Sunday 5 March. Scoring twice and providing assists, the Egyptian forward produced a superb performance. Having dazzled in open play as he has rarely done this season, Mo Salah also broke a few more records with Liverpool.

With his 128th and 129th goals in 205 Premier League appearances for the Reds, he simply becomes the club's all-time leading Premier League scorer. The Egyptian has also become the top scorer in this fixture, with 12 goals. It should give him a lift in joy and confidence, after he had faced quite a bit of criticism in recent weeks. "An extraordinary day for all Liverpool fans. I am honoured to keep writing history with this great club," he said in a delighted message on Twitter.

Salah makes Martinez dance

And with good reason. Rarely this season has the Egyptian looked so sharp on his feet and so inspired in his decisions. He was involved in practically everything good his team did, recalling the formidable, incisive and devastatingly efficient Salah of the first half of last season (2021-2022). For the Reds' third goal, for example, the two-time African Ballon d'Or winner (2018 and 2019) made a fool of Martinez with a signature double feint before setting up Cody Gakpo on a plate, and Gakpo finished the move superbly (50th minute, 3-0).

The finish 🤤
The celebrations with the Kop 😍 pic.twitter.com/b56zbceoFw

— Liverpool FC (@LFC) March 5, 2023

That was only the start of the Mohamed Salah show. He would go on to score a brace of his own. First with a right-footed strike that smashed against David De Gea's crossbar before ending up in the net (66th minute, 4-0). Then with a calm side-foot finish after prolonged scrambling in the Manchester box (83rd minute, 6-0). And as if that goal had lifted him out of his recent dip in form, Mo Salah celebrated with rage, taking off his shirt and sending Anfield wild.

The evening was already perfect. But with everything going his way in the highest-scoring derby in Premier League history, the Reds' number 11 then decided to pay tribute to his former attacking partner Roberto Firmino, who is set to leave in June after 8 seasons on Merseyside. Coming on late in the game, the Brazilian was found perfectly by the Egyptian and finished to deepen the Red Devils' night of misery and add to Anfield's delight (88th minute, 7-0). With this win, Liverpool climb to fifth, three points behind fourth-placed Tottenham.

The Reds are climbing 🆙 pic.twitter.com/EXE6BDWmef

— Premier League (@premierleague) March 6, 2023