Mo Salah vs Eden Hazard: Comparing the prime PL stats of Liverpool hero and Chelsea icon | OneFootball

Mohamed Salah and Eden Hazard are two of the greatest wingers in Premier League history.

The former's blazing start to the season with 22 goal contributions in just 15 league games has prompted fans to wonder how the Liverpool star compares to other greats of English football.

In fact, many supporters are now openly claiming that Salah is the greatest male winger that England has seen since the top-flight's rebranding in 1992.

Salah vs Hazard

It's a massive statement and certainly not one without substance as the Egyptian hurtles towards a third Premier League Golden Boot that could see him usurp Cristiano Ronaldo, Ryan Giggs and co.

But how does Salah compare to Hazard? Well, for some, that question might seem laughable because there's no denying that the Liverpool phenomena is more lethal in front of goal.

However, dare we suggest that Salah's superior goalscoring record has far too much to do with his former Chelsea teammate being written off so quickly when the two are compared on social media.

Wolves vs Liverpool Match Reaction (Football Terrace)

More than just goalscoring

Yes, Salah has scored 25 more goals in the Premier League than Hazard in 72 fewer appearances, but let's not pretend as though the debate ends there when you consider their differing roles.

Besides, we've got to remember that - although Hazard was certainly no wing-back - Salah plays in a system that essentially makes him an inverted striker where goalscoring chances can be rife.

So, let's take a little bit of a different look at things and assess both wingers across every aspect of their games by using the Premier League's official comparison tool for player statistics.

What were their best seasons?

And to level the playing field in the interest of stopping appearance numbers from muddying the waters, we decided to contrast the two superstars by their finest ever season in the division.

For Salah, that's a pretty straightforward task because although the 2021/22 season will surely turn out to be his magnum opus, his record-breaking 2017/18 campaign hitherto remains unmatched.

And while you might automatically think that Hazard's finest season was his PFA Award-winning year of 2014/15, we're actually inclined to reckon that it was his final year at Stamford Bridge.

Salah vs Hazard in prime seasons

Besides, Hazard actually provided both more goals and more assists during his swan song in west London than he did in the year that is so often labelled as his high watermark in England.

So, what happens when you pit 2018/19 Hazard up against 2017/18 Salah? Well, the simple answer is that sparks fly and you can check out the fascinating results down below:

Well, well, well - it's not exactly a closed book, is it?

Closer than you'd think...

Now, for context, your humble GIVEMESPORT writer is firmly of the belief that Salah is superior to Hazard, but let the statistics go to show that it's not an absolute massacre like some fans make out.

Besides, the Belgian literally wins every single data set in the teamplay category with more assists, crosses, through balls, big chances created and a stronger pass success rate for good measure.

Even Hazard's reputation for being lazy at defending doesn't hold true because his stronger numbers for tackling, interceptions, clearances and even aerial battles won also outdo Salah.

And while, yes, Salah predictably gets the better of Hazard in almost every attacking metric, let us not ignore the fact that Hazard's shooting accuracy of 72.88% actually tops that of the Reds star.

That is, admittedly, a little clutching at straws his Salah still having the better shooting success rate, but it's another objective measure that proves Hazard is certainly no whipping boy in the debate.

And that's the moral of the story really because these statistics certainly don't underline a clear winner between two players who, frankly, should be celebrated individual for their achievements.

ENTER GIVEAWAY

They do, however, go to show that while Salah might well have overtaken his old Chelsea pal by now that it's by no means an open-and-shut case.

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