"His numbers have been sensational" - When Chris Sutton claimed Premier League star was better than Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo

Former Premier League player-turned-pundit Chris Sutton once claimed that Liverpool talisman Mohamed Salah was performing at a level that surpassed even Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. Sutton’s comments came after the Egyptian shone in a Premier League game between Liverpool and Manchester City at Anfield on October 3, 2021.

Before the game, Salah scored in his last four Premier League matches and produced a POTM performance against City despite his side being the second-best team in terms of possession. The spoils were shared between both sides as the game ended 2-2. Salah continued his impressive form as he provided an assist and scored a sublime goal.

His goal seemed to be what caught the attention of anyone. The Egyptian slalomed his way through City’s defense and capped it off with a stunning finish.

After the match, Chris Sutton opined that the Liverpool man was better than Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo at the time. He said (via BBC):

"At this moment in time, he's better than [Lionel] Messi and [Cristiano] Ronaldo. His numbers have been sensational the last few seasons. To do it on that stage, which he has done for so many years, it just sums up how brilliant he is."

"Consistency is what you look for and he is doing it season after season after season where others are falling away and Liverpool still haven't signed him up," Sutton added.

It is worth noting that Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo were still plying their trade in Europe when Chris Sutton made his comments. The former was playing for Paris Saint-Germain at the time, while the latter was playing for Manchester United.

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''I need to maintain my high-performance level for many seasons'' – When Mohamed Salah dismissed Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo comparisons

Back in 2018, Mohamed Salah dismissed the comparisons between himself and footballing icons Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

Salah at the time just joined Liverpool from Roma. He took the football world by storm in his debut campaign at the Merseyside club, scoring 44 goals across competitions, of which 32 came in the Premier League.

After an impressive debut campaign, he started to earn comparisons with Messi and Ronaldo. However, Salah refused to be drawn into such comparisons as he acknowledged the longevity of both players in the sport while admitting the need to replicate the same.

Salah said in an interview with Egypt Today:

''Not at all. But I don’t want to say that I am happy with these kinds of comparisons, because each of them was at top level for 10 or 11 years. Their performance level is stable. Yet, I need to maintain my high-performance level for many seasons. I hope I can do so. Definitely, they are great players.’’

Despite approaching the twilight years of his career, Mohamed Salah has continued to perform at an elite level. He currently sits atop the goalscoring and assist charts in the Premier League this season.