Mo Salah takes rightful acclaim as unsung Liverpool man gets deserved plaudits

As he has so often done across his 366 Liverpool appearances, Mo Salah made the difference when it mattered as Liverpool beat Aston Villa 2-0 in the Premier League.

Salah was once again the star of the show as Liverpool extended their lead at the top of the Premier League to five points.

The Egyptian put in another brilliant display for the Reds, setting up Darwin Nunez‘s first and scoring one of his own to seal the three points for Liverpool.

Here we compare our player ratings with those of the Liverpool Echo, GOAL, FotMob and This Is Anfield’s readers.

Unsurprisingly, Salah was named man of the match across the board by the media, receiving a minimum score of eight from each of our sources.

On average, the 32-year-old was rated at 8.5 out of 10 and stole the headlines on Sunday morning.

While he won’t get quite the same acclaim from the national press, those who are watching Liverpool consistently know how well Caoimhin Kelleher has stepped up to cover for Alisson.

The match against Aston Villa was no exception, and while Liverpool’s goal wasn’t peppered by Unai Emery’s side, Kelleher was alert when called upon and made two brilliant saves towards the end of the first half to maintain the lead.

He was rated as Liverpool’s second-best player on the night, on average receiving a score of 8.1.

Rapidly becoming a fans’ favourite, Ibrahima Konate was once again exceptional for Liverpool.

The Frenchman was rated at an average of 8 out of 10, with centre-back partner Virgil van Dijk receiving a 7.9 score.

The Liverpool Echo’s Ian Doyle decided to give Konate a slightly higher mark, writing that he was “once again Liverpool’s best defender and used his physical strength impressively.”

Meanwhile, he labelled Van Dijk as “impressive,” adding that the captain “did very well to repel Onana and Watkins headers at successive Villa corners and was comfortable dealing with set-pieces.”

Up front, Darwin Nunez will go home happy, having scored the crucial opener that allowed Liverpool to play in a more reserved fashion after the break.

It was perhaps another strange day, though, in terms of judging enigmatic Uruguayan.

Richard Mills of Goal gave him an 8 but said: “Took his goal in expert fashion but he also spurned a glorious chance to double his team’s lead not long after.

“On another day he could, and perhaps should, have had a hat-trick but he worked so hard for his team.”

This Is Anfield’s Jack Lusby said similar, adding: “He netted a stunning goal on the break but then wasted another in a similar situation, as the familiar feeling set in that Nunez is better when he has less time to think.

“At least twice as many shots as any other player in his 65 minutes on the pitch (six), but with twice as many big chances missed too (two).”

While Liverpool impressed more as individuals during Tuesday’s 4-0 win over Bayer Leverkusen, Saturday’s match against Villa showed they can control Games and ride out periods of pressure.

This was another step on the road to what is increasingly looking like a very successful first season under Slot. Silverware will ultimately be the judge of that, though.