Mohamed Salah and Erling Haaland don't just score huge quantities of goals for Liverpool and Manchester City - they also score hugely important ones.
As the football world excitedly awaits Sunday's showdown between the Premier League's top two sides, stats show that Salah and Haaland are changing games for their teams on a regular basis this season.
Salah, with 10, is the top player in the league for goals and assists that have either brought his side level in matches - like his first strike at Southampton last weekend - or given them the lead, as his penalty did in their 3-2 win at St Mary's.
Haaland is ranked second after scoring nine such goals. Most recently, he opened the scoring away at Brighton & Hove Albion on 9 November, before the hosts turned the match around in the second half.
Most goal involvements when teams equalise or go ahead
| 2024/25 | Goals | Assists | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mohamed Salah (LIV) | 6 | 4 | 10 |
| Erling Haaland (MCI) | 9 | 0 | 9 |
| Bryan Mbeumo (BRE) | 7 | 1 | 8 |
| Bukayo Saka (ARS) | 2 | 6 | 8 |
| Matheus Cunha (WOL) | 5 | 3 | 8 |
| Nicolas Jackson (CHE) | 6 | 2 | 8 |
Head-to-heads since Haaland arrived
Of course, the best games a player can change are those against their direct rivals.
Liverpool and Man City have faced each other six times in four different competitions since Haaland signed for the Blues ahead of the 2022/23 season.
Salah has played in all six, scoring in four; Haaland has appeared in five meetings, scoring in two.
Liverpool v Man City matches since 2022/23
| Result | Season | Comp. | Scorers |
|---|---|---|---|
| LIV 3-1 MCI | 22/23 | CS | Alexander-Arnold, Salah, Nunez | Alvarez |
| LIV 1-0 MCI | 22/23 | PL | Salah |
| MCI 3-2 LIV | 22/23 | EFL | Haaland, Mahrez, Ake | Carvalho, Salah |
| *MCI 4-1 LIV | 22/23 | PL | Alvarez, De Bruyne, Gundogan, Grealish | Salah |
| MCI 1-1 LIV | 23/24 | PL | Haaland | Alexander-Arnold |
| LIV 1-1 MCI | 23/24 | PL | Mac Allister | Stones |
*Haaland did not play
Battle for the Golden Boot
Even though Man City are eight points behind Liverpool, and are on a difficult run of six winless matches in all competitions, Haaland has still scored more Premier League goals than Salah this season, with 12 compared to 10.
That will surely give extra motivation to the Egyptian, who will be determined to beat his great rival to the Golden Boot, the award presented to the league's top scorer at the end of the season.
Premier League top goalscorers 2024/25
| Player | Goals |
| Erling Haaland (MCI) | 12 |
|---|---|
| Mohamed Salah (LIV) | 10 |
| Bryan Mbeumo (BRE) | 8 |
| Chris Wood (NFO) | 8 |
| Matheus Cunha (WOL) | 7 |
| Nicolas Jackson (CHE) | 7 |
| Cole Palmer (CHE) | 7 |
| Yoane Wissa (BRE) | 7 |
Haaland has won the Golden Boot in both of his full campaigns with Man City so far, delaying Salah's quest for a record-equalling fourth success.
Golden Boot winners since Salah joined Liverpool
| Player | Season | Goals |
| Mohamed Salah (LIV) | 2017/18 | 32 |
|---|---|---|
| Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (ARS), Sadio Mane (LIV), Mohamed Salah (LIV) | 2018/19 | 22 |
| Jamie Vardy (LEI) | 2019/20 | 23 |
| Harry Kane (TOT) | 2020/21 | 23 |
| Mohamed Salah (LIV), Son Heung-min (TOT) |
2021/22 | 23 |
| Erling Haaland (MCI) | 2022/23 | 36 |
| Erling Haaland (TOT) | 2023/24 | 27 |
With speculation about Salah's future still rife in the final season of his current Liverpool contract, this campaign could be his last chance to match Arsenal legend Thierry Henry.
He firstly needs to overtake Haaland in the 2024/25 race. Scoring against City on Sunday, while entrusting team-mates like Virgil van Dijk to keep the Norwegian quiet, would be the perfect way to pursue this objective.
Multiple Golden Boot winners
| Player | Seasons won | No. awards |
| Thierry Henry (ARS) | 2001/02, 2003/04, 2004/05, 2005/06 | 4 |
|---|---|---|
| Harry Kane (TOT) | 2015/16, 2016/17, 2020/21 | 3 |
| Mohamed Salah (LIV) | 2017/18, 2018/19, 2021/22 | 3 |
| Alan Shearer (BLB, NEW) | 1994/95, 1995/96, 1996/97 | 3 |
| Didier Drogba (CHE) | 2006/07, 2009/10 | 2 |
| Erling Haaland (MCI) | 2022/23, 2023/24 | 2 |
| Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink (CHE) | 1998/99, 2000/01 | 2 |
| Michael Owen (LIV) | 1997/98, 1998/99 | 2 |
| Robin van Persie (ARS, MUN) | 2011/12, 2012/13 | 2 |
