Salah Faces Criticism as Liverpool Struggles in Premier League

Mohamed Salah, known as Liverpool’s “Egyptian King,” is under scrutiny following a disappointing performance in a 2-1 defeat against Chelsea on September 30, 2023. The forward struggled to make an impact, missing key opportunities and failing to contribute defensively, raising concerns about his current form and work ethic.

Salah’s recent statistics reflect a troubling trend. He has not scored in five of Liverpool’s seven Premier League matches this season, contributing to the team’s struggles. The loss at Stamford Bridge marked Liverpool’s third defeat in just eight days, allowing Arsenal to overtake them at the top of the Premier League table.

Declining Performance and Defensive Concerns

In nine appearances across all competitions this season, Salah has managed only three goals and three assists. His recent games have seen him take a backseat, particularly during critical moments. Against Chelsea, Salah’s lack of defensive effort was evident, leaving Liverpool’s right-back, Conor Bradley, exposed and eventually substituted at half-time after receiving a yellow card.

The decisive moment of the match came from Salah’s right flank, where Chelsea’s Marc Cucurella capitalized on the space left unguarded, providing the assist for Estevao Willian’s stoppage-time winner. Cucurella noted that Chelsea’s manager, Enzo Maresca, had instructed the team to exploit the defensive gaps on Salah’s side.

This performance marks a significant dip from Salah’s previous season, where he scored 29 goals in 38 league matches and was instrumental in Liverpool securing their 20th league title. Since a two-goal performance against Southampton in March, his influence has diminished, with only two goals in his last eleven games.

Calls for Increased Effort

Salah’s lack of defensive involvement has not gone unnoticed. Former England international Wayne Rooney expressed his concerns, stating on BBC’s “Wayne Rooney Show” that Salah’s unwillingness to support the defense has become problematic. “When it’s going well and you are scoring goals, the team will put up with that. But over the last week, I’d question his work ethic,” Rooney remarked.

Former Liverpool midfielder Danny Murphy echoed these sentiments, suggesting that Salah’s defensive shortcomings have contributed to Liverpool’s difficulties against stronger teams. The pressure is now on Liverpool’s manager, Arne Slot, to address these issues if the team hopes to regain form.

Intriguingly, Slot had left Salah on the bench for the first hour of their Champions League defeat against Galatasaray just prior to the Chelsea match, a decision he now recognizes may have affected Salah’s sharpness. “Did he miss the chances because he missed a bit of sharpness that he could have had if he would have played against Galatasaray? We will never know,” Slot stated.

For now, Slot is advocating for patience as he seeks to help Salah return to form. “It’s not like every chance he gets is always a goal. We feel sometimes it is because of what he has done so many times. But yeah, he is a human being,” he said, emphasizing Salah’s potential for improvement.

As Liverpool navigates through this challenging period, both fans and analysts will be watching closely to see if Salah can reclaim his status as one of the Premier League’s elite forwards and help steer his team back to victory.