The Reds were in the running to land the Portuguese after he burst on the scene, but they Finally missed out to arch-rivals Manchester United
So, also, are 19-point leads.
That’s the unbelievable position Liverpool find themselves after this, their 23rd league success of the campaign.
It was among the simpler ones, with West Ham, even in front of their own fans, offering little resistance as the Reds took another step closer to that elusive 19th league name.
This was about as comfy as it gets for Klopp’s side, who had been in the pipe and slippers mode for the most part.
Salah, with 16 goals, is now Liverpool’s top scorer in all competitions this year, the Egyptian taking advantage of Sadio Mane’s lack to reestablish himself as Klopp’s go-to guy.
Since his arrival in Liverpool in 2017, Salah has scored more Premier League goals than any other player. This was his 66th, converted emphatically in the place following Issa Diop had brought down Divock Origi, 10 minutes before half time.
Salah’s other party piece is to score and help out with the exact same game. He’s done that on 14 occasions in the previous two-and-a-half years, no other Premier League player has handled over nine, the newest secured with a sublime second-half pass with the outside of his foot, allowing Oxlade-Chamberlain to make it 2-0.
He might have had additional rewards also, striking the post with a nice, instinctive attempt from the edge of the box. Liverpool played in 2nd gear, but they were way too great for the Hammers, that are in the thick of a relegation struggle under new manager David Moyes.
This being Liverpool, naturally, there was a part of history to be made. For the first time, the Reds have conquered each and every team from the top-flight during one season. Not even the amazing sides of Bill Shankly, Bob Paisley or Kenny Dalglish handled that specific feat — which is how special this group is.
Their march is constant. From the time Manchester City kick against Tottenham on Sunday, they’re most likely to be 22 points adrift. Liverpool have seemingly been below their best for a lot of the season, and yet they’ve laid waste to the competition.
The fact of the matter is that this is the most finely-tuned, complete team that club has seen. When it’s Salah’s decisive excellence, the majesty of Virgil van Dijk (and Joe Gomez) in defence, the incessant area of Gini Wijnaldum and Jordan Henderson at midfield, or the ever-alert Alisson Becker in aim, Liverpool have world-class talent anywhere. Even without Mane, arguably their best player in the first half of this campaign, they were amounts above their opponents.
Meanwhile, at Molineux, Neil Critchley and his Under-23 side were busy securing progression into the knockout stages of the Premier League International Cup, fighting back from two goals down to draw against Wolves. The equaliser, scored by 16-year-old Harvey Elliott, has to be seen to be believed.
Contrary to the title race, it needs to be said.
