It has been some time, but Mohamed Salah made a significant impact again last week by scoring two goals in Casablanca, securing Egypt’s position in the 2026 World Cup. The key player is yet again taking center stage. Liverpool relies on him to remain there.
There are several factors contributing to the inconsistent and unimpressive performances that have characterized Liverpool’s defense of their title, whether they achieved seven straight victories or faced three consecutive losses before Manchester United visited Anfield on Sunday.
The turmoil of multiple summer changes, Arne Slot’s quest for his optimal starting lineup, and Diogo Jota’s passing; Salah has been impacted by all these issues during his typically low-key start to the season.
Sunday’s main event could ignite the potential for a record 16 goals in 17 matches for Liverpool against United, who are making their 100th trip to Anfield and have not triumphed at their rivals’ home for over nine years. However, if he remains mired in the chaos much longer, Salah will present Slot with another unexpected challenge.
Liverpool’s coach must have found it ironic that Salah’s first goal against Djibouti last Wednesday was scored in a similar fashion to his costly miss against Chelsea just before the international break.
Scored with the outside of his left foot and tucked inside the near post, Salah’s eighth goal in Egypt’s World Cup qualifying was taken from nearly the same location as that earlier opportunity.
Had he converted that right-foot chance shortly after the second half began at Stamford Bridge, we could still be praising Florian Wirtz’s first exquisite assist in the Premier League. Investigations into Salah’s decline and Liverpool’s unusual losing streak might also have been delayed.
Instead, Wirtz continues to wait while Slot grapples with a third successive away defeat, with two of those losses coming from last-minute goals and one resulting from a questionable penalty. The small margins, as Slot pointed out on Friday, do not hide more significant issues.
Salah played a pivotal role in helping Liverpool toward a record-equaling 20th league title last season even while questions about his future loomed. “We extracted nearly the maximum from Mo this season,”
Slot remarked when his star striker signed a new two-year deal in April. Since then, there has been a notable decline both individually and collectively. The team’s performance, not the contract details, is to blame.
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