Gary Neville has put Chelsea forward Cole Palmer on the same level as Liverpool star Mohamed Salah, labeling them as the "best" in the Premier League at the moment.
Palmer netted twice for Chelsea in its 4-3 win at Spurs this weekend, moving Enzo Maresca's side within four points of Liverpool. The Reds, though, still have a game in hand to play after the Merseyside derby was postponed due to adverse weather conditions.
While Palmer has scored 11 and assisted six this season, Salah has found the back of the net on 15 different occasions and laid on teammates another 12 times in all competitions. His 27 goal contributions in 21 appearances have seen him score or assist every 63 minutes on the field.
"Palmer and Salah, I think, at this moment in time, are the very best in terms of what they’re doing," Neville said while working as a pundit on NBC in the US this weekend. In the Premier League, Erling Haaland has the same number of goals as Salah but seven fewer assists.
Liverpool.com says: It is a big claim to say that Palmer is as good as Salah. His numbers are not on the same level and he hasn't done it for anywhere near as long yet. Clearly, Palmer is a huge talent but Salah is a level above anyone with the way that he is performing t the moment.
That explains why it is so important that Liverpool gets a new contract over the line for the Egyptian. Palmer is a brilliant player but even he can't get near the numbers that Salah is posting. The Reds simply cannot afford to lose such a key part of the team because replacing someone scoring and creating so regularly would be nearly impossible.