Mohamed Salah is setting records this season and another outstanding performance from the Egyptian helped Liverpool to a win at West Ham at the weekend.
Salah scored one and created two others in a 5-0 win for Arne Slot’s side at the London Stadium. The 32-year-old has now scored 17 goals and laid on 13 assists this season, reaching 30 goal involvements before the turn of the year.
It’s been a phenomenal campaign from Salah, but where does it rank among the most explosive starts to a Premier League season?
The fastest players to 30 goal involvements in a Premier League season.
=5. Didier Drogba (2009/10), Robin van Persie (2011/12) and Mohamed Salah (2021/22) – 26 games
Three players have taken 26 games to reach 30 goal involvements, including Salah himself during the 2021/22 season. Salah ended that campaign as winner of both the Premier League’s Golden Boot and Playmaker of the Season award, becoming just the fourth player after Andy Cole, Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink and Harry Kane to lead the league for goals and assists in the same season.
Didier Drogba also took 26 games to reach 30 goal involvements in 2009/10. The Ivorian ended the campaign as the Golden Boot winner for a free-scoring Chelsea team. Carlo Ancelotti’s side broke several then-records on route to a domestic double, including the most goals scored in a season (103) and the best goal difference in a season (+71).
Didier Drogba at his clinical best 😍#GoalOfTheDay @ChelseaFC pic.twitter.com/d4yozufGIQ
— Premier League (@premierleague) June 29, 2020
Robin van Persie also took 26 games to reach 30 goals and assists. The Dutchman’s brilliant start came in his final campaign at Arsenal in 2011/12, when he was named PFA Player of the Year.
4. Alan Shearer (1994/95) – 25 games
Alan Shearer needed 25 games to reach the total in 1994/95. After an ACL injury curtailed a prolific first season at Blackburn Rovers, Shearer returned with a bang the following campaign. He ended the season with 34 goals and 13 assists in 42 games as Blackburn beat Manchester United to the Premier League title.
It was the first of three consecutive Golden Boots for the Geordie goal-getter and earned him the PFA Player of the Year award.
Starting his journey to becoming the #PL‘s record scorer ⚽️#OnThisDay in 1992, @alanshearer moved to Blackburn @Rovers pic.twitter.com/6Cg32VV14e
— Premier League (@premierleague) July 27, 2019
3. Erling Haaland (2022/23) – 22 games
Erling Haaland needed just 22 games to reach 30 goals and assists during a record-breaking debut season at Manchester City.
After marking his Premier League debut with a brace, the Norwegian scored 17 times in his first 11 league appearances in English football. The campaign concluded with Haaland shattering the single-season record after netting 36 goals in the Premier League. That haul was swelled to 52 in all competitions as the Citizens won the treble.
2. Luis Suarez (2013/14) – 19 games
Luis Suarez was banned for the first five games of the 2013/14 season and how things could have been different for Liverpool had he been available. Suarez returned in spectacular style as he recorded 30 goals and assists in just 19 games. His run of form included an astonishing 14 goal involvements over a four-game period in December.
Suarez won the Premier League’s Golden Boot with 31 league goals and added 12 assists, despite featuring in just 33 games for the Reds. Brendan Rodgers’ side narrowly missed out on the title to Manchester City.
Suarez. Genius. 💫
A display of the highest calibre on this day against Norwich City 🗓️ @carlsberg #ad pic.twitter.com/8e0LQ0jlIn
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) December 4, 2024
1. Mohamed Salah (2024/25) – 18 games
Mohamed Salah has set new ground this season after reaching 30 goal involvements in a record-breaking 18 games. Despite the uncertainty surrounding his future at Liverpool, the 32-year-old has ignored the outside noise to shine.
He has produced arguably the best football of his career under Arne Slot to score 17 times and create 13 more. Salah leads the Golden Boot standings and has the most assists in the league, having been in unstoppable form.
Mohamed Salah has already beaten his goal involvement record from last season…
How many goals and assists will he finish on in 2024/25? 😳 pic.twitter.com/sojggDXn6Q
— Premier League (@premierleague) December 29, 2024
Read – Most Premier League assists of all time as Salah enters top 10
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