Mohamed Salah delivered a barely-believable piece of skill to set up Cody Gakpo in Liverpool's comfortable win over West Ham on Sunday - but social media was alight with theories over whether he meant it.

The Egyptian King received the ball just inside the box, having initially curved his run due to being offside when Trent Alexander-Arnold played a long ball over the top. After being played through by Curtis Jones, Salah appeared to flick the ball with his right foot to set himself up on his favored left.

In doing so, however, he inadvertently flicked the ball through the legs of the oncoming West Ham center-back Konstantinos Mavropanos. He then passed the ball through Max Killman's legs to set Gakpo up for the easiest of finishes.

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While many hailed the assist as another stroke of genius from the Egyptian King—prompting ex-Arsenal player Alan Smith to describe it as “magic” live on Sky Sports in the UK — some questioned whether the skill was intentional or a fortunate accident.

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Speaking to Sky Sports after the game, the 32-year-old set the record straight about his double nutmeg. When asked if he meant it, Salah said: "I don't think the first one, but the second one, yes, it was the only option I had. The first one, I just wanted to get the ball inside and shoot, but I was lucky. Second one yes, first one no."

Social media was filled with debate after it happened, with some suggesting Salah's move to nutmeg Mavropanos was simply a failed first touch. One fan wrote: "He fell over his own first touch," while another commented: "failed touch".

Speaking at half time, Jamie Redknapp said: "This bit of skill, I'm struggling whether he means it or he doesn't. Because it's Salah, I'm willing to give him the benefit of the doubt."

Izzy Christiansen, appearing alongside Redknapp, said: "I'm not there with it. I give Mo Salah so much credit but I'm sitting in the camp of not thinking he means that. I think he intends to evade Mavropanos somehow with that touch but I don't think he means it in that way."

Redknapp concluded: "Ask him. Only he knows." Salah was at his best at the London Stadium, and fired Liverpool three goals up just before the half-time interval.

He has now overtaken Harry Kane, Alan Shearer and Thierry Henry in the Premier League all-time goal scorers table, racking up 30 goal contributions in 19 games this season.