Gary Neville has stood by his decision to omit Mohamed Salah from his Premier League Team of the Season, insisting the Arsenal duo of Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli could not be overlooked.
Salah currently has 19 goals to his name in the top-flight this term, along with 11 assists, and has seen his number of goal contributions bettered only by Harry Kane (31) and Erling Haaland (43).
The Egyptian has only once failed to surpass the 20-goal mark in the Premier League as a Liverpool player and has the opportunity to reach this figure once again should he score during Sunday's clash with Southampton. Making his campaign all the more impressive is his ability to turn provider for team-mates, with only Kevin De Bruyne registering a higher number of assists.
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Selecting a front three of Saka, Haaland and Martinelli in his team, Neville went against Jamie Carragher's attacking unit of Salah, Haaland and Kane and was then asked to explain why by the former Reds defender.
"I think this season, Saka and Martinelli, up until the last few weeks have absolutely lit up this league," the ex-Manchester United man said on Sky Sports. "They have been spectacular, electric and some of the best play I have seen all season has been from those two. I've not liked what I have seen from Arsenal in the last four or five weeks, I think it has been really poor, and those two players have suffered.
"For 30 games, they were magical and at a different level to Rashford and Salah. Kane is a different position, I've got one striker and two wide players so wasn't even looking at playing two strikers. I looked at Rashford and Salah and thought those two [Martinelli and Saka] have been spectacular.
"The way in which Martinelli and Saka have dovetailed in that front three of Arsenal is something I will remember from this season as a real high point - and I'm not moving away from that."
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