Mohamed Salah's eventful week ended on a high when the Egyptian striker came off the bench to help Liverpool beat Brighton 2-0 in the Premier League on Saturday.
Salah had been dropped from the squad by manager Arne Slot for Liverpool's Uefa Champions League victory away to Inter Milan following his public criticism of the Dutch coach and the club.
The 33-year-old was called back into the fold to take on the Seagulls at Anfield but had to settle for a place on the substitute's bench for the fourth consecutive game.
But after an early injury to Joe Gomez, Salah was stripped and back on the pitch, much to the delight of Liverpool supporters who had already been cheering following Hugo Ekitike's goal after less than a minute.
And it would be from Salah's cross that Ekitike would score his and Liverpool's second, all but putting the game to bed on the hour mark, although the Egyptian should have score himself late on but shot over the bar from close range.
“Mohamed is a great, great professional,” Ekitike said to BBC Match of the Day. “I look to him as an example. You can see how much he is involved in goals and assists. He is a legend here. To share the pitch is a blessing. That's the kind of player who makes us like to watch football.”
Ekitike admitted that the victory had been “really important” after the chaotic 3-3 draw with Leeds United last weekend.
“I really enjoy my life here. I have great teammates, good staff, great fans,” said the summer signing from Eintracht Frankfurt. “They give me so much love so I try to give it back. The best way is to score goals, be involved and win games.
“I am just here and I do my job. Whether I play with Flo [Wirtz] or Alex [Isak] I do my best to complement them.”
It took Liverpool less than a minute to open the scoring when Ekitike was able to capitalise on dreadful Brighton defending to put his team in front
A woeful, aimless clearance from Yankuba Minteh was won in the air by Gomez with the ball then falling nicely for French attacker Ekitike who smashed home in style.
Ekitike – starting ahead of British record signing Alexander Isak – notched his sixth of the season in what was also the Premier League's quickest so far, timed at 46 seconds.
After recovering that disastrous start, Brighton began to get a foothold in the game with Minteh – looking to atone for his error – sending a curling shot just wide of the target while Diego Gomez saw his effort blocked at close-range by Alisson Becker.
Salah was on before the half-hour mark after Gomez was forced off injured and the Egyptian was immediately involved in several attacks, including one that ended with Ekitike sending a first-time volley just wide of the target.
Brighton's Gomez was lucky to only see yellow when he was booked a reckless high challenge on Florian Wirtz that left the German attacker with stud marks on his stomach just before the half-time.
Then, five minutes after the break, Gomez should have levelled the scores when Georginio Rutter sent a low cross across the six-yard box but the Paraguayan could only hit the side netting with the goal at his mercy.
Brighton were now looking dangerous and minutes later Gomez picked out Brajan Gruda in the box but the German's low shot skimmed just wide of the goal when well placed.
The game was now flowing end to end, Ekitike curled a chance over the bar before a Salah piledriver was beaten away by Bart Verbruggen in the Brighton goal.
From the resulting corner, Salah whipped over a superb delivery to the back post where Ekitike was free to head home a second goal, following on from his brace against Leeds.
That assist meant Salah has the third-most goal Premier League involvements with 280, leaving him behind only Wayne Rooney (311) and Alan Shearer (324).
It also meant Salah has now been directly involved in more goals for Liverpool (277) than any other player has for a single side in Premier League history, breaking a record held by Rooney at Manchester United.
Liverpool played out the rest of the game relatively comfortably with Salah almost scoring himself in stoppage time but shinned fellow substitute Federico Chiesa's low cross over the bar.
And he should have set up a third Liverpool goal but overhit a pass that would have handed Andrew Robertson a simple finish. He now heads off to Morocco for the Africa Cup of Nations with Egypt which could see him gone for a month.
“It was an easy decision to put him in the squad,” said Slot. “I have said many times before what has been said between us will stay between us. We needed him and he assisted to the 2-0 which is nice for us.
“He goes to the Afcon and that means for us another player down. This is what we knew before the season started. Hopefully one or two players can come back from injury.”
