Playmaker award: Salah assist spree puts him top

When Mohamed Salah set up Andrew Robertson’s opening goal in the 2-0 win over Everton, he did the left-back a favour but also boosted his own chances of beating his Liverpool team-mate to the Castrol Playmaker of the Season award.

Salah’s assist was his 13th of the Premier League campaign, putting him in pole position to win the award for the most in this season's competition, ahead of two team-mates, Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold.

Race for Playmaker award

Salah has been more of a creator than a scorer in recent weeks, laying on a goal in three of his last four matches, while netting twice in that spell.

The Egyptian played in Sadio Mane for a goal in the 2-2 draw against Manchester City, and then delivered the low cross for Luis Diaz’s opening strike in the 4-0 triumph over Manchester United.

He followed that up with his chip to the back post that gifted Robertson his headed goal in the Merseyside derby.

In that same four-match spell, Alexander-Arnold has managed only one assist, against Man City, while Robertson has none.

Instead, the man on the march behind Salah in the race for the Playmaker award is Mason Mount, who has set up two goals in his last four matches for Chelsea.

That puts him on nine, four behind Salah.

Paul Pogba also has nine assists but a calf injury is set to undermine his bid for the award. 

Winners of the Playmaker award

Salah is just one assist away from equalling Harry Kane’s winning total from last season, as he aims to match the Tottenham Hotspur striker’s 2020/21 achievement of winning both the Golden Boot and Playmaker awards in the same campaign.

Salah is also the current top goalscorer with four matches to play.

Also in this series

Part 1: Golden Boot: Can Salah hold off his pursuers?