A decade ago this weekend, Mohamed Salah was seated on the substitutes’ bench in a renowned London stadium, observing and anticipating. In Stamford Bridge’s East Stand, fans were becoming angry as they stood close behind him, creating a raucous atmosphere.

Their team, leading the Premier League, had become ineffective. The top African striker of a generation was underperforming in scoring goals, while another forward, who was signed away from Liverpool, did not influence during his 30 minutes on the field. Chelsea secured a 1-0 victory against Everton in ιnjury time.

Salah did not play in the match and instead pondered how his pace may have impacted the game, perhaps replacing Samuel Eto’o, the experienced Cameroonian chosen as Chelsea’s center-forward.

Or to consider whether Salah, who had upset Liverpool a month before by deciding to join Chelsea instead of them, would have been a more effective replacement than the former Liverpool player Fernando Torres.

As Torres, who is about to reach 30, left his best years at Anfield, his confidence noticeably decreased due to the challenging mix of a hefty price tag and a poor goals-per-game ratio at Chelsea.

The leadership at Stamford Bridge in 2014 favored age over young and experience over new faces. Salah, 21, would often spend his afternoons observing and anticipating while being present as a Chelsea staff member. Jose Mourinho, the former Chelsea manager, clarified that he needs time.

Mourinho instructed Salah to gradually increase his playing time, suggesting 10 minutes of game time here and there. Salah was purchased for about €16m from Basel during the winter transfer window.

We purchased a young player from a different environment, an Egyptian athlete competing in Switzerland. We were aware that the child would need time. We anticipate that he will do really well for us in the next season.

Mourinho’s prognosis was somewhat accurate. In the next season, Salah demonstrated his exceptional ability to make crucial plays in football. He was doing it on loan only for Fiorentina. He had been with Chelsea for little under a year.

Chelsea’s failure to see Salah’s brilliance and decision to let him go in his early 20s is now seen as a significant misjudgment. It has emerged as a significant milestone in the history, not only of a player who broke records, like Eto’o was a prominent figure for Africa in the 2000s and an idol in the Mena area, but also in the management and style of play at the highest level of football.

Since Salah’s return to English football in 2017 with Liverpool, after stints in Florence and Rome, he has consistently reminded Chelsea of their mistake.

Before the League Cup final on Sunday between Chelsea and Liverpool, Salah’s fitness has been the main focus. After 10 years, he may find himself on the bench in a renowned London stadium, but at Wembley, he would only be there as a precaution to save a delicate hamstring for Liverpool’s upcoming pursuit of numerous trophies.

Regardless of whether he is in the starting lineup or not, Salah will continue to be the player that troubles Chelsea the most.

This will be his 24th encounter between Chelsea and Liverpool, a match that assesses the extent to which Salah has transformed the hierarchy of English football. In May 2014, Salah donned blue for the first time. Mourinho said that Salah had played enough matches for Chelsea to establish a relationship with the public who appreciated his style of play.

As winter transitioned into spring, Chelsea’s chances of winning the title were diminishing while Liverpool was making a strong push towards perhaps securing their first English league championship in 24 years. Salah was included in Mourinho’s starting lineup at Anfield with three games remaining on the schedule.

It was a notorious day for Liverpool, further solidifying the club’s image as always close but unable to win titles. Steven Gerrard, the captain, fell while mishandling a straightforward ball, allowing Chelsea’s Demba Ba to capitalize. Chelsea’s victory allowed Manchester City to pull ahead in the closely contested three-way race for the Premier League title.

A week later, Salah was once again included in Chelsea’s starting lineup against Norwich City, but was requested to play in a deeper midfield position rather than his usual one. Following a scoreless first half, Mourinho specifically criticized a young player, referring to him as “the kid who needs time,” and replaced him before halftime.

Witnesses in the changing room that day saw Salah as shocked by the manager’s severe comments, unable to hold back tears. Salah never played in a league game at Chelsea’s home stadium again.

His visits to Stamford Bridge throughout his six and a half years with Liverpool have regularly been detrimental for Chelsea. On the opening day of the new season, Salah provided an assist, which was the 89th of his career at Liverpool, helping them take the lead in the 2023/2024 championship figҺt. In the 2019/20 season, he scored goals in both home and away matches, contributing to victory against Chelsea. This season marked the end of Liverpool’s 30-year wait for the league title.

Salah scored his tenth goal in the Premier League for Liverpool against Chelsea, marking a strong beginning to his time at Anfield with 10 goals in his first 13 appearances. He has scored 205 goals in 334 outings for Liverpool in various competitions.