Mohamed Salah well and truly had one hand on the Ballon d'Or after the unparalleled numbers he was putting up in the Premier League. However, a Champions League knockout defeat to Paris Saint-Germain has dented his hopes of winning the most prestigious individual award in football.
Ever since his £34 million move from Roma, the Egyptian has settled right into life on Merseyside and won every trophy possible in the English game. His contract situation remains up in the air, but his time at Liverpool has been blessed with incredible moments on and off the pitch. We turned the history books all the way back to his Reds debut and had a look at who played alongside the winger in a manic 3-3 Premier League draw against Watford at Vicarage Road in 2017.
Simon Mignolet
Now: Club Brugge
Simon Mignolet
Jurgen Klopp trusted Simon Mignolet between the sticks for the opening game of the 2017/18 season. The Belgian was a reliable shot-stopper in net for Liverpool but started to find himself in and out of the team in this campaign. Watford managed to squeeze three goals past Mignolet, an embarrassing feat when you consider the Hornets only had a total of four shots on target all game.
The goalkeeper wanted Salah's debut to get off to the best of starts and even took a yellow card for time-wasting late on when Liverpool were 3-2 up. These nasty tactics didn't prevail and a Miguel Britos header in the dying moments of the game meant the points were shared. Now 37, Mignolet plays football in his home country for Club Brugge, and it wouldn't be overly surprising to see him hang his boots up soon.
Trent Alexander-Arnold
Now: Liverpool
Trent Alexander-Arnold
Trent Alexander-Arnold is hot on the lips of every football fan as he enters the final months of his Liverpool contract. Real Madrid are sneaking around for his signature, and it seems a move to Spain has caught the right-back's attention. Having come through the youth ranks at Anfield, Alexander-Arnold was deployed at right-back, despite only being 18 years old.
The teenager had a strong game against Watford, with Liverpool's leaky defence putting a damning image on what was a decent display. Known for his crossing and passing ability, Alexander-Arnold created the most chances in the match - a sneak preview of his undoubted quality from wide areas.
Joel Matip
Now: Retired
Joel Matip playing for Liverpool in the Premier League
Following his move from Schalke, Joel Matip featured in his second season at Liverpool when he was put at the heart of the backline by Klopp. The Cameroon international didn't often get the headlines he deserved when he was in the North-West and was often overshadowed by the quality of Virgil van Dijk in his later years.
It was Matip's attacking threat that was showcased at Vicarage Road on Salah's debut, with the centre-back hitting the crossbar in the 65th minute. He was able to rise high above the opposing defenders, but could only see his header smash off the woodwork. The failed attempt to put the game to bed at 3-2 allowed the hosts to crawl back into the game and earn a point. Matip stayed put at Liverpool for eight years and decided to put an end to his professional days at the end of the 2023/24 season.
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Dejan Lovren
Now: PAOK Thessaloniki
Dejan Lovren
Once describing himself as 'one of the best defenders in the world', Dejan Lovren was Matip's partner in crime for the Saturday lunchtime kick-off. The Croatian was the more experienced veteran of the two, having been at Liverpool ever since his 2014 move from Southampton.
Watford strikers Stefano Okaka and Richarlison posed a dangerous threat to the Reds in aerial positions, but Lovren's 6ft 2" stature enabled him to come out on top in many of the duels. Despite his dominance, he wasn't able to stop Okaka from putting the Hornets in front. A Champions League win and Premier League title was enough for Lovren, and he has since enjoyed spells at Zenit St. Petersburg, Lyon and his current club, PAOK.
Alberto Moreno
Now: Como
Alberto Moreno
Alberto Moreno's position at left-back for Liverpool was becoming less secure as time went on, especially with his woeful display in the 2016 Europa League final. Although Klopp opted for Moreno in defence on the opening day, the signing of Andy Robertson, a month prior, was going to cause major problems for the Spaniard.
His performance against Watford minimised the effectiveness of Moroccan winger Nordin Amrabat, winning the most tackles over the entire 90 minutes. It was in the more offensive positions he struggled though, and he failed to deliver a single accurate cross or long ball, much to the disappointment of his teammates. His tenure at Liverpool came to an end in 2019, and he went on to play for both Villareal and Como.
Jordan Henderson
Now: Ajax
Jordan Henderson
Donning the captain's armband in the middle was no easy task, but Liverpool supporters took a particular liking to their skipper, Jordan Henderson. His performances were full of passion, and there was no better leader than a man entering his seventh season at the club.
He took Salah under his wing and made him feel at home in his new city, starting off with an assured display at Vicarage Road. Henderson kept things ticking for Liverpool as they looked to put the game out of sight, but they just couldn't see the match out. Upon captaining his side to the Champions League and Premier League, the Reds' legend made a controversial move to Saudi Arabia to play for Al-Ettifaq. He only spent one season in the Middle East, returning to Europe to play for Dutch giants Ajax.
Georginio Wijnaldum
Now: Al-Ettifaq
Gini Wijnaldum celebrates scoring for Liverpool vs Barcelona
His £25 million transfer from East to West seemed a successful one after an impressive first season at Liverpool. Georginio Wijnaldum only needed one campaign to impress in Newcastle colours before one of the biggest clubs in the country snapped him up to sure up their midfield three.
The Dutchman didn't have his best game against Watford, mainly staying on the periphery of play. As a more offensive-minded player, he failed to create opportunities for the forwards to work with, and it wasn't a surprise to see Liverpool needing the penalty spot to get back in the game. Little did Wijnaldum know that just a year later he was going to etch himself into the club's history with a brilliant brace against Barcelona. He left the Reds in 2021 and joined Ligue 1 superstars Paris Saint-Germain, where he failed to impress before fleeing to Saudi Arabia.
Emre Can
Now: Borussia Dortmund
Emre Can
Back in 2017, Emre Can was entering his last season in a Liverpool shirt as the club looked to rebuild their squad for future success. Just three months before this opening-day encounter, Can scored one of the best goals Vicarage Road has ever seen. A bicycle-kick from outside the box left both sets of fans in awe, and it was only right for Klopp to include him in the matchday lineup for those heroics alone.
The German continued his attacking prowess and grabbed an assist for Liverpool's opening goal of the afternoon. It was another brilliant piece of skill from the midfielder, who supplied Sadio Mane with a delightful flick for his goal. However, as aforementioned, his time on Merseyside came to an end, and he has since gone on to play for both Juventus and Borussia Dortmund - not a bad CV at all.
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Mohamed Salah
Now: Liverpool
Liverpool striker Mohamed Salah celebrating
Mohamed Salah made his first competitive start for Liverpool on a bright summer's day, just north of the English capital. With his spell at Chelsea being underwhelming in his early career, fans were sceptical about whether the Egyptian would live up to his expectations. However, this game initiated the formation of one of the best players of the modern generation, and most importantly, Liverpool's all-time Premier League goalscorer.
The Merseyside collective were treated to the winger's excellence right away and Salah left Vicarage Road with his head held high. In the space of three minutes, he won a penalty for Roberto Firmino to slot home, as well as firing in from close-range himself to put the away team in front. Fast-forward to present-day and Salah's future is in a precarious position. Contract talks with the club haven't been initiated from Liverpool's side, with the 32-year-old puzzled at what the future holds.
Sadio Mane
Now: Al-Nassr
Sadio Mane premier league
Linking up with Sadio Mane on the wing would have been an absolute dream for the debuting Egyptian. From the very first moment the pair stepped on the pitch together, football fans knew a special partnership was brewing. A lunchtime kick-off against Watford started the journey of two of the best wingers in Premier League history.
Mane himself was among the goals too in mid-August, linking up well with Emre Can to send a curling shot into the top right-hand corner. He boasted an impressive record for Liverpool and ended his career with 120 goals for the club. The summer of 2022 opened the door to new beginnings for the Senegalese attacker, who joined Bayern Munich. He later secured a lucrative move to Saudi Arabia, where he remains one of the highest-paid wingers in world football.
Roberto Firmino
Now: Al-Ahli
Roberto Firmino
The front three of Roberto Firmino, Mane and Salah failed to have a catchy acronym to sum up their dominance, but the trio did most of their talking on the pitch anyway. Salah was the last piece of the jigsaw as Firmino and Mane already had a season under their belt together in the 2016/17 campaign.
Their frightening talent was on show from the very first minute against Watford, with the Brazilian travelling back up to Merseyside with a goal and assist to his name. After packing his trophy cabinet with many honours, Firmino's Premier League days were up, and he joined Mane in confirming a big-money switch to the Middle East.
Statistics in this article are courtesy of Transfermarkt. Correct as of 13-03-25.