By Reuters
Mohamed Salah of Liverpool celebrates. Photo: Salvio Calabrese PHOTOSPORT
Mohamed Salah was named the Premier League player of the season after the Egyptian enjoyed a stellar individual campaign as Liverpool cruised to their second Premier League title.
Salah scored 28 goals and provided 18 assists to guide the Anfield club to the title, with Arne Slot's side winning it with four games to spare.
Having also earned the award in 2017-18, Salah became only the fifth player to win it twice after Thierry Henry, Cristiano Ronaldo, Nemanja Vidic and Kevin De Bruyne.
The 32-year-old Egyptian is on course to win another Golden Boot for most goals in a season and is five strikes ahead of Newcastle United striker Alexander Isak going into the final day of the season on Sunday.
No player before has had 46 goal involvements in a 38-game season and Salah could even break the record of 47 held by Alan Shearer and Andrew Cole, who achieved the feat in a 42-game campaign, when Liverpool host Crystal Palace at Anfield.
With six more assists than any other player, Salah can become the first footballer to win the Golden Boot, Golden Playmaker and player of the season awards.
Salah also won the Football Writers' Association men's player of the year for the third time earlier this month.
Meanwhile Sunderland staged a remarkable comeback to beat Sheffield United 2-1 in the Championship playoff final with substitute Tom Watson sending them back to the Premier League by scoring the winner deep in stoppage time at Wembley.
It had looked like a bridge too far for Sunderland as they trailed to a stunning counter-attack goal by Tyrese Campbell in a first half dominated by United.
Sunderland were a greater threat in the second half without really looking like scoring but sent their fans into raptures when Eliezer Mayenda equalised in the 76th minute.
But then Watson drilled a low shot inside the post to snatch victory and put Sunderland back in the top flight after an eight-year absence in which they dropped into the third tier.
- Reuters
