Mohamed Salah Liverpool farewell mixes emotion with a public row

Mohamed Salah's final Liverpool night had the full Anfield treatment, tears, a standing ovation and a last assist against Brentford. He also left with a split argument around him, because not everyone liked the way the farewell unfolded. On the pitch, the detail that matters is simple: Salah claimed his 93rd and final Premier League assist for Curtis Jones in the 1-1 draw.

What Salah's final Anfield night said about his Liverpool spell

The emotional side of it was obvious. Salah said, “Today (Sunday's game) was very difficult for me psychologically, because it was my last match in a place where I lived for nine years, where I lived the best days of my youth.” He also said, “I feel like I've put the team again, by a large percentage, in the place it deserves among the elite, that's the most important thing for me.”

That claim is at least backed by the numbers. Salah left as Liverpool's third-highest goalscorer of all time at Anfield, with 257 goals, and he was top scorer in eight of his nine seasons there. He was also Liverpool's highest-rated player against Brentford, with an 8.2, and played 74 minutes before being substituted. His last assist arrived in the 58th minute, when he set up Curtis Jones.

Why Graeme Souness saw the exit differently

Graeme Souness did not treat the goodbye as a clean emotional exit. “I think Salah is a major problem. I'm a bit disappointed in him with the way he's left. It's all about him, the way he has left. It has been all about him,” he said. He added, “He's tried to drag the manager down with him. I find that so disappointing.”

That criticism has a limit. It is Souness's view, not a fact, and the football record at the end of Salah's Liverpool career is hard to dismiss. He leaves with 257 Anfield goals, 93 Premier League assists and the memory of a final contribution in a game that mattered to him personally. Salah also said he will wait until after the World Cup to decide what comes next, although he left open the possibility of an earlier move if a good opportunity appears.

The story is still unresolved in the only way that matters now, because Salah has not said where he is going next. For now, Liverpool have a departed star, Andrew Robertson is another summer departure thread, and the club's latest goodbye is already being argued over on two fronts.