Even if Liverpool had magically signed Barcelona’s Lionel Messi last summer, it’s hard to imagine that the world-class Argentine could have done a much better job at Anfield than Mohamed Salah this season.The Egyptian forward has been nothing short of extraordinary since completing his £34 million move from AS Roma last summer.He took his tally to 39 goals in 43 matches with his second-half equaliser against Manchester City in the Champions League quarter-finals on Tuesday night. That’s the 50th Liverpool goal he’s been directly involved in this season.Everything that Salah touches turns to gold at the moment. He’s exceeded all expectations since completing his move to Anfield.Chelsea supporters, meanwhile, have been left scratching their heads wondering why on earth their club sold such a gifted footballer.Frank Lampard briefly played alongside the Egypt international at Stamford Bridge and he admits that he didn’t envisage Salah performing so well for Liverpool this term.“He didn’t get that many chances to show that but he’s released himself from the wing,” Lampard said on BT Sport after Liverpool’s 2-1 victory over City.“At Chelsea he was seen as a winger and didn’t have much impact."To be fair to him, there were a lot of players ahead of him at the time: Eden Hazard etc. were older than him.”

What Lampard noticed about Salah v Man City

Lampard has also noticed during Tuesday night’s match that Salah has started to replicate something that Messi does in most matches these days.

“We watch Lionel Messi and sometimes he’s great at just standing in areas - and [Salah has] started to do that,” the Chelsea legend added.

“Standing in areas then the ball comes to him and all of a sudden he goes.”

Great spot.

This was evident on Salah's goal

Indeed, we saw Salah’s Messi-esque movement for his equalising goal at the Etihad.

The 25-year-old positioned himself in between City’s defenders and looked somewhat uninterested before suddenly bursting away when the ball fell to him.

If he has been studying videos of Messi, it would certainly make sense.

No footballer wants to be compared to the five-time Ballon d’Or winner - it creates unrealistic expectations - but it could certainly be argued that Salah is the closest thing to Messi currently playing anywhere in Europe right now.