Today, the 22nd of March marks a special anniversary for one of the Premier League’s most enigmatic players in recent history. Exactly 10 years ago, Chelsea faced Arsenal at Stamford Bridge. The match did not end well for Wenger and his Gunners, as they suffered a heavy 6:0 loss.
A 21-year-old Egyptian footballer entered the pitch as a sub for Chelsea at 67 minutes, replacing Oscar. The player who entered the field was none other than Mohamed Salah, and it took him four minutes to score his first-ever Premier League goal in the 71st minute, rounding off the final score. Since then, Salah has gone on to cement his status as a Liverpool legend, leading the team to Champions League glory in 2019 and to their first Premier League title after a 30-year wait in 2020. The tricky winger has made 240 Premier League appearances for the Anfield club, netting an impressive 152 goals and providing 71 assists.
10 years ago today, Arsene Wenger took charge of his 1,000th game as Arsenal manager against Jose Mourinho's Chelsea.
Arsenal FC lost 6-0, Kieran Gibbs was shown a red card meant for Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain & Mohamed Salah scored his first Premier League goal. pic.twitter.com/eaxZ2uMwDQ
— The Mayor 🇳🇬 (@Mayor_ofph) March 22, 2024
The Egyptian spent only 2 seasons in London and left for Roma in 2015 after just 13 Premier League appearances and two goals under his belt. Despite the slow start in England, Salah’s move to Serie A was the catalyst for his rise to stardom, as his return to the Premier League with Liverpool in the summer of 2017 marked the beginning of a new era for the Reds.
As for Arsene Wenger, the French specialist departed Arsenal at the end of the 2017-18 season, ending a 22-year reign as Gunners’ manager. Since leaving the North London club, he has worked for FIFA and is currently the governing body’s Chief of Global Football Development.