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Liverpool Echo
Liverpool Echo
Sport
Josh Williams

Mohamed Salah and Liverpool can both get exactly what they want against Crystal Palace

It is all set to be decided on the final day of the Premier League campaign; not only will Liverpool learn their fate as to whether they will play Champions League football next season, but Mohamed Salah will conclude his battle with Harry Kane.

The two attackers continue to chase the prestigious Golden Boot prize and with one game remaining, they are level on 22 goals each, ahead of third-placed Bruno Fernandes on 18.

Salah will face Crystal Palace at Anfield, while Kane is set to make the trip to the King Power to face Leicester City, but which player should be deemed as the favourite?

It is difficult to determine which player will end up with the accolade, but delving into the numbers beneath the surface can provide an insight into what might happen.

Kane has scored more goals than Salah once excluding penalties with his 18 edging out the 16 posted by the Liverpool man, and he also averaging more shots on a per-90 basis.

The Tottenham striker attempts to find the net 3.9 times per 90 compared to Salah's 3.4, although the attempts generated by the latter tend to be closer to goal by around two yards.

The Egyptian assumes possession in the penalty area considerably more often, with 8.8 touches in the box per 90 - which is one of the league-leading figures - compared to Kane's 4.6 per 90.

But what about the performances of each team?

Liverpool tend to generate a lot more in attack than Spurs; their 15.7 shots per match is the best in the division ahead of Spurs who rank as low as 12th, amassing just 11.7 efforts per match.

Moreover, the Reds seem to be facing more willing opponents, with Crystal Palace posting one of the lowest possession shares in England's top-flight.

Roy Hodgson's men allow their opponents to take roughly 13.9 shots against them per match, compared to Leicester who afford just 9.7, which essentially means that Salah is likely to be presented with more attacking opportunities than Kane on Sunday.

Palace have conceded 18 more goals than Leicester this season, and many of the players in the squad - including Hodgson - are set to leave the club in the summer.

Ultimately, based on the numbers, it is perhaps no surprise that Salah and Kane are level at the top of the scoring charts but with one contest remaining, the Egyptian undoubtedly has the better fixture on paper.

Both players have secured the award twice, but who will pick it up a third time?

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