There are some opponents who top class strikers simply love to face.
Just ask Ian Rush. Liverpool’s all-time leading goal-grabber scored 25 times in 36 appearances against Everton, including braces in two successful FA Cup finals for the Reds.
He once joked that his lack of goals against Manchester United didn’t bother him when it was the Blues up next.
For Liverpool ’s current goal scoring hero Mohamed Salah, West Ham United have been his favourite opponent.
The Egyptian has netted nine times against the Hammers in eight appearances against them. Perhaps surprisingly more of them have come away from home, with five of his total being bagged at the London Stadium.
When it comes to matches at Anfield, Salah has had the most success against Watford. He scored four times in one game back in his debut season with the Reds, and netted both goals in a 2-0 Liverpool win last season.
The Hornets will be back in the Premier League next season having earned promotion at the first time of asking following their relegation at the end of 2019/20.
And not that Salah has had too much trouble scoring at Anfield this season – his nine league goals there are at least five more than any other Liverpool player has tallied – but his favourite opposing side among current top flight teams will be in town on Saturday evening.
The Reds’ number 11 has faced Southampton three times on home turf during his time with the club, scoring in every match and accumulating five goals in total.
Back in 2017/18, Salah opened the scoring in the 31st minute and added another before half time to put Liverpool in total control of the match. Philippe Coutinho scored a third after the interval to round out a comfortable 3-0 victory for Jurgen Klopp’s side.
The score line was repeated the following this season, except that this time an own goal from Wesley Hoedt broke the deadlock after just 10 minutes.
Joel Matip then headed home from a Trent Alexander-Arnold corner to double the Reds’ lead before Salah scored the shortest distance goal of his Liverpool career. A Xherdan Shaqiri free kick cannoned off the bar and the Egyptian was on hand to prod the ball home on the goal line.
It took longer for the Reds to secure the points in the home match with the Saints in their title winning campaign, but by full time it was one of their more emphatic wins of recent times.
For the 10th time in the Premier League era, Liverpool scored four goals in the second half after being held to nil in the opening 45 minutes of a game.
He has also scored in two separate away wins for Liverpool against Southampton, but it’s at Anfield where he has done his best work against the Saints.
With the Reds in desperate need of three points to keep their ailing top four hopes alive, they could have scarcely asked for better opponents this weekend from their top scorer’s point of view.
