"We know how much they want to stop us from winning the league" - Mo Salah details importance of Manchester United-Liverpool clash
Mohamed Salah has detailed the importance of Liverpool's upcoming derby against Manchester United in the Premier League on Sunday (April 7).
The Reds go into the gameweek 31 clash against the Red Devils leading the league table by a point. Their opponents, meanwhile, have mustered just one point from their last two league games and sit in sixth with 48 points — 22 less than Liverpool.
Manchester United are currently 11 points off fourth-placed Aston Villa, albeit with a game in hand. But regardless of their own club's situation, Manchester United fans would know that their team still has a say in deciding who can win the league this season.
Salah is aware of it as well. Speaking to Sky Sports ahead of the clash at Old Trafford, the Egyptian superstar shed light on the importance of the match in the title race. He said (00:54):
"This game is huge because we know how much they want to win the game, and how much they want to stop us from winning the league, so we know it's a really, really big game."
Salah also mentioned that he wants his team to be in control of their own fate in the title race. He added:
"If you drop points, then you have to rely on other teams to lose points as well. I don't want to have that. I just want us to win our games and see what happens next."
Last season's runners-up Arsenal currently sit in second with 68 points, leading third-placed Manchester City by a solitary point.
Liverpool star Mohamed Salah explains why winning the league is 'necessary' to give Jurgen Klopp perfect send-off
Mohamed Salah believes that it is even more important for Liverpool to win the league this season considering the situation surrounding Jurgen Klopp.
The German will call time on his Liverpool career this summer after nine seasons at Anfield. His team will be looking to ensure that their iconic manager walks away with the two remaining trophies on offer this season.
The Premier League title is undoubtedly the more important of the two, although the Reds have never won the UEFA Europa League during Klopp's tenure. The German notably ended Liverpool's three-decade wait for a league title in the 2019-20 season.
Salah believes another league trophy will be the ideal way for Klopp to bow out, with the club already having won the EFL Cup in February (1-0 vs Chelsea). Speaking to the aforementioned source, the 31-year-old winger said:
"It would be great. The manager is leaving the club now, if we win the Premier League, then his last season would be great. That's why I'm saying it's necessary. So it would be a good end for him."
Klopp notably brought Salah from AS Roma to Merseyside in 2017 for a fee of £34.3 million. Since then, he has become the club's fifth all-time leading goalscorer with 208 strikes in 339 matches.