Liverpool will aim to kick 2022 off on the right foot when they take on fellow title outsiders Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Sunday afternoon.
The Reds ended 2021 in disappointing fashion with a 1-0 defeat to Leicester City and will soon see their ranks depleted when the Africa Cup of Nations kicks off.
However, Jurgen Klopp will retain the services of his key attackers for the time being, with Mohamed Salah out to make an impact against his former club.
Here, Sports Mole takes a closer look at Salah's record against Chelsea ahead of Sunday's contest.
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After turning out 19 times in blue before seeking pastures new, Salah has since featured on 16 occasions against Chelsea, making his former club the team he has faced the most often in his career.
During his days at Basel, Salah started both games against Chelsea in the semi-finals of the 2012-13 Europa League - scoring in the second leg - but he could not prevent his side from falling to a 5-2 aggregate defeat.
A few months later in the 2013-14 Champions League, Salah struck in a pair of Basel victories over Chelsea in the group stages, with his two goals ultimately helping him secure a move to Stamford Bridge in January 2014.
Upon his return to the Premier League with Liverpool in 2017, Salah opened the scoring against his old club in a 1-1 draw at Anfield but was powerless to stop the Reds losing 1-0 at Stamford Bridge in the penultimate gameweek of the season.
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Salah's 2018-19 season was perhaps best remembered for his wonder strike against Chelsea to help Liverpool on their way to a 2-0 win at Anfield, and he claimed one assist in both of his side's victories over the Blues in their triumphant 2019-20 campaign.
The 29-year-old would fail to score or assist in either Premier League game vs Chelsea in the 2020-21 season, but he restored parity from the spot against his former employers back in August in a 1-1 draw following Reece James's handball.
Salah has also faced Chelsea once in the FA Cup and EFL Cup without contributing to a goal, meaning that he has banked a total of six goals and two assists in 16 games versus the Blues in all tournaments.
Three of those strikes have come in the Premier League, although each one of them was scored at Anfield, so Salah needs no reminding of the pressure he is under to finally break his top-flight duck on his old ground before AFCON comes calling.
Ben Knapton
