If Mohamed Salah felt at all distracted by transfer speculation regarding his future, having seen Liverpool reject an £150m Al-Ittihad bid, against Aston Villa he certainly didn’t show it.
Yet natural attacking instincts prevailed in the second half as Nunez returned the favour in the 55th minute, flicking on Andy Robertson’s corner at the near post to gift Salah the simplest of far post finishes. That’s goal number 188 for the Egyptian now since moving to Merseyside in the summer of 2017, with few being easier.
Handshakes with team-mates and opponents followed, along with a customary Klopp hug. And while there was a brief look towards the Kop, there was no emphasised salute or attempt to soak in the occasion. We’ll never know how much previous uncertainty weighed on Salah’s shoulders, but he is seemingly so much more relaxed now, 18 months on, as he remains the Reds’ most lethal talisman. His latest goal, taking his tally for the campaign to two from four, is a relief that he will continue to hit dizzying heights at Anfield in the months ahead.
Abbas twice insisted that the Egyptian was staying put last month, before talk of a record bid from Al-Ittihad started to ramp up.