. ▁ ▁On ▁ 1 7 ▁March ▁ 2 0 1 8 , ▁Sal ah ▁scored ▁four ▁goals ▁in ▁a ▁ 5 – 0 ▁win ▁over ▁Wat ford , ▁which ▁was ▁his ▁first ▁hat - tr ick ▁for ▁Liverpool . ▁In ▁this ▁game , ▁he ▁also ▁broke ▁a ▁record ▁of ▁scoring ▁ 3 6 ▁times ▁in ▁his ▁debut ▁season ▁for ▁Liverpool , ▁and ▁also ▁became ▁the ▁leading ▁goals cor er ▁in ▁Europe ' s ▁top ▁five ▁le agues ▁– ▁over t aking ▁Barcelona ' s ▁Lion el ▁Mess i ▁and ▁Tot ten ham ▁stri ker ▁Harry ▁K ane . ▁Following ▁Sal ah ' s ▁record - bre aking ▁goal ▁explo its ▁former ▁Liverpool ▁captain ▁Steven ▁G err ard ▁stated ▁" we ▁are ▁witness ing ▁the ▁start ▁of ▁great ness ". ▁ ▁On ▁ 2 2 ▁April ▁ 2 0 1 8 , ▁Sal ah ▁was ▁awarded ▁the ▁P FA ▁Play ers ' ▁Player ▁of ▁the ▁Year ▁award , ▁having ▁earlier ▁been ▁named ▁in ▁the ▁P FA ▁Team ▁of ▁the ▁Year ▁for ▁the ▁Premier ▁League . ▁Two ▁days ▁later , ▁he ▁scored ▁a ▁bra ce ▁in ▁a ▁ 5 – 2 ▁Champions ▁League ▁semi - final ▁first ▁leg ▁win ▁over ▁former ▁club , ▁Roma . ▁In ▁doing ▁so , ▁he ▁simultaneously ▁became ▁the ▁first ▁player ▁from ▁Africa ▁and ▁the ▁first ▁Liverpool ▁player ▁to ▁score ▁ 1 0 ▁goals ▁in ▁a ▁single ▁campaign ▁in ▁the ▁tournament . ▁His ▁double ▁also ▁took ▁him ▁to ▁ 4 3 ▁goals ▁for ▁the ▁season ▁across ▁all ▁compet itions ,