The Premier League table might suggest otherwise, but 2019 has been far from easy for Mo Salah.

The Egyptian's 25-yard screamer in the 2-0 win over Chelsea could yet prove a decisive step in Liverpool's quest for the title.

However, the 26-year-old has quite understandably struggled to meet the ludicrously high standards he set for himself in his first season back in English football. 

On the occasions when he hasn't been at his best, Sadio Mane has willingly stepped up.

That's been essential with Salah scoring five in his last 14 in all competitions.  

Those statistics might fall short of what we've come to expect of the 2017/18 PFA Player of the Year - but make no mistake, he's still made his mark on the current campaign. 

Salah still has eyes for the Golden Boot, having scored 19 times in the league. In fact, he sits just behind Manchester City's Sergio Aguero in the goalscoring charts by virtue of the Argentine's better minutes-per-goal ratio. 

It remains to be seen whether he'll be adding that accolade, and perhaps a Premier League winners' medal, to his mantelpiece over the next six weeks. 

In the mean time, Salah has already received an honour bestowed on very few footballers after being named in Time's 100 Most Influential People of 2019. 

Comedian John Oliver writes in his segment on Salah: 

"Mo Salah is a better human being than he is a football player. And he's one of the best football players in the world. 

"You'd be hard-pressed to find a professional athlete in any sport less affected by their success or status than Mo, which is incredible because I can't imagine the kind of pressure that comes with the intensity of adoration he receives.

"Mo is an iconic figure for Egyptians, Scousers and Muslims the world over, and yet he always comes across as a humble, thoughtful, funny man who isn't taking any of this too seriously.

"As a footballer, he plays with an infectious joy. I've always wondered what it would feel like to be able to play as well as him, and watching his face light up after he does something incredible, you get the reassuring sense that it's exactly as fun as you'd want it to be. I absolutely love him."

NBA star LeBron James and South African runner Caster Semenya are among the other athletes to be named. 

Tiger Woods also makes the list after his extraordinary win at the Masters.