With the Premier League campaign complete, it’s time to hand out our end-of-season awards, as we turn our attention to the Player of the Season.
Kevin De Bruyne has every right to feel aggrieved, but it is simply impossible to overlook the astonishing displays of Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah.
Goal after goal. Record after record. The Egyptian continued to amaze. From his debut goal against Watford, to his record-breaking strike against Brighton, Salah’s goalscoring feat, all achieved from a wide position, is quite remarkable.
Those who watched him closely during his time with AS Roma knew that Liverpool were getting a player much more lethal and well-rounded than the one which struggled to make an impact at Chelsea, but few could have predicted what Salah accomplished in his debut season with Liverpool.
Quite where Jurgen Klopp’s side would have finished without him is impossible to predict, but it would be reasonable to assume that the Reds would now be heading off on holiday rather than preparing for the Champions League final.
In the Premier League, from the moment Salah found the net on his debut, he proved almost impossible to stop. In fact, only two teams were able to stop him – Manchester United and, perhaps surprisingly, Swansea City.
Now onto the records. Salah became the first African player to score 30 goals in a Premier League season, and surpassed Alan Shearer, Luis Suarez and Cristiano Ronaldo for most goals in a single campaign (32).
He became only the fifth player to be directly involved in 40 or more goals, following Andy Cole, Shearer, Thierry Henry and Suarez. The winger also broke the record for most games scored in during a Premier league season – 24 and equalled the record for most opposition teams scored against in a single campaign (17).
Salah may never enjoy a season as successful as the one he has just had, but you wouldn’t back against him running it close.
Worthy mentions
Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City)
Kevin De Bruyne registered more assists than any other player in the Premier League.
The mastermind on the pitch behind Manchester City’s title-winning campaign. The Belgian was unstoppable at the heart of the midfield for Pep Guardiola’s men. De Bruyne finished the campaign as the league’s top playmaker, recording 16 assists and beating his teammate Leroy Sane by one, thanks to a superb ball over the top for Gabriel Jesus in the last minute of City’s final game against Southampton. It was a fitting way to finish.
David De Gea (Manchester United)
With more clean sheets than any other goalkeeper, David De Gea was unbeatable at times.
The fact no Manchester United defender really stood out over the course of the season only further highlights the quality of De Gea. The goalkeeper time and time again came to the rescue for Jose Mourinho’s side, pulling off some miraculous saves that didn’t quite seem possible. In total, De Gea recorded 18 clean sheets, to take home the Premier League’s Golden Glove.
Harry Kane (Tottenham Hotspur)
Harry Kane scored 30 league goals for the first time in his career.
Salah’s heroics were the only thing that stopped Harry Kane from winning a third successive Premier League Golden Boot. The England international actually enjoyed his most successful league season in front of goal, reaching 30 for the first time in his career. Kane’s goals were vital in securing Tottenham a place in the top four, with vital winners coming against Arsenal, West Ham and Crystal Palace.
