Mo Salah ends 'Christmas Tree Curse' and Gooner title hopes

Arsenal fan accounts were gleefully reposting Mohamed Salah’s so-called Christmas tree picture back in December.

Salah falls off in the second half of the season, the old story goes, and especially after he posts an image of himself and his family around the Christmas tree.

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Salah has indeed suffered drops in form between the start of certain seasons and the conclusion. Last season for example, his progress was brutally curtailed following an injury suffered at the Africa Cup of Nations in January.

And when he posted his picture on Christmas Day, Arsenal fans took it as a sign that Liverpool’s demise had begun and Salah would soon be losing form. The title would be theirs and Liverpool would surrender.

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How’s that working out? Terribly, for Arsenal actually.

Salah's historic season

While the Gunners flounder in second place following a weekend no-show against West Ham, Liverpool and Salah have streaked clear in the Premier League title race.

The Reds are now 11 points out in front; it’s not quite an unassailable lead but something very dramatic is going to have to happen in the next 11 matches if Liverpool are not going to win their first title since 2020.

They beat Manchester City on their own turf on Sunday to extend their lead at the top with Salah yet again scoring and providing an assist in the same game.

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He remains on course for an individual season of historic proportions. The Egyptian King has already delivered 41 goals and assists combined in this Premier League season - 25 goals and 16 assists.

He’s just three goals short of the all-time record for G+A in a 38-game season and looks set to beat Andrew Cole’s total of 47 goals and assists for Newcastle in the 42-game 1993/94 season and Alan Shearer’s same total for Blackburn in 1994/95.

Salah for Ballon d'Or?

Moreover he’s got TEN goals since Christmas Day and five assists. No player in the league has managed more goals and assists since then.

Under Jurgen Klopp, there had been campaigns admittedly where Salah’s impact tapered off - 2021/22 didn’t finish brilliantly either. There are no signs of that happening this term. In fact, it could be argued he’s getting stronger.

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At the age of 32, he is the finest player in the world and delivering reminder after reminder of why he needs a new contract. Liverpool are set for the title and Salah for the Ballon d’Or. That’s what we think of the curse.

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