Liverpool Manager Confident in Salah's Comeback
Liverpool manager Arne Slot expressed confidence that he does not need to worry about Mohamed Salah's return to form.
Salah was Liverpool's leading scorer last season, netting 29 goals and providing 18 assists as the team secured the Premier League title. However, the 33-year-old has struggled this season, managing only three league goals as Liverpool has faced challenges in recapturing their title-winning performance after investing approximately £415 million in new attacking talent over the summer.
Following four consecutive losses, including a defeat to Manchester United at Anfield, Slot opted to bench Salah during their 5-1 victory against Eintracht Frankfurt in the Champions League on Wednesday.
Slot has integrated summer signings Alexander Isak, Hugo Ekitike, and Florian Wirtz into a revamped system during the match against Frankfurt, but Isak's groin injury may lead to Salah's reinstatement in the starting lineup for the upcoming match against Brentford on Saturday.
Salah has gone seven consecutive Premier League matches without scoring a non-penalty goal, marking his longest drought since joining Liverpool in 2017. "In football, players miss chances, and he is human. We are not accustomed to him missing opportunities," Slot remarked.
Slot also noted that the arrival of new players and the departure of right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold to Real Madrid might be affecting Salah's performance. "It could be a factor that he is no longer playing alongside Alexander-Arnold, as they have partnered throughout his Liverpool career. However, he has found himself in promising positions to score," Slot explained.
He added, "The numerous changes in the squad since the summer mean that everyone is still finding their connections, which might be contributing to the situation."
Is it Too Early to Write Off Salah?
At this point last season, Salah had already scored seven goals and provided the same number of assists. This season, he has recorded only three in both categories. The reigning Premier League Golden Boot winner is currently eight goals behind Manchester City striker Erling Haaland.
While teammates Cody Gakpo and Ekitike have outscored him, Salah remains the leader in assists this season with three. On a positive note, Salah has created 19 chances for Liverpool so far, just two fewer than the 21 he generated after 12 games last season. He has also delivered more open-play crosses than he did during the same period last year.
However, the drop in his goal tally raises questions. Signs of this decline were evident towards the end of the previous season, where he managed only three goals in Liverpool's final 11 matches. This trend seems to be continuing into the current season.
There are indications that Liverpool is struggling to get Salah involved in the game, as his average touches per match have significantly decreased compared to his career averages at the club. This season, he averages just 6.2 touches in the opposition box, down from 9.6 last season, and is averaging only 1.6 dribbles, less than half of last season's total.
Whether this decline is due to full-backs marking him more closely, challenges in adjusting to new teammates, or simply age catching up with him, Salah's current average of just 0.3 completed dribbles per game highlights his difficulties.
While 12 matches is a small sample size, Salah has never averaged fewer shots or had a lower expected goals (xG) than he has this campaign.
Liverpool's new signings and tactical adjustments could be influencing his performance, as well as the departure of Alexander-Arnold. The pair had established a successful partnership on the right flank, and Alexander-Arnold's move to Real Madrid likely impacted Salah's game.
Last season, Alexander-Arnold made a remarkable 147 line-breaking passes to Salah in the Premier League, which was at least 39 more than any other combination in the league. According to data analyst Opta, in the 33 league matches where both players featured, Salah scored 27 goals, averaged 3.5 shots per game, and had a non-penalty xG of 0.48 with 10.5 touches in the opposition box.
In contrast, in the 12 games without Alexander-Arnold, Salah has scored just four goals, two of which were penalties, averaging 2.3 shots per game, a non-penalty xG of 0.3, and 7.2 touches in the opposition box.
Is it too early to write Salah off? Absolutely. Some speculated that age was affecting him when he scored only one non-penalty goal in his last nine Premier League appearances last season, but he went on to have a remarkable campaign. As former Liverpool full-back Stephen Warnock suggested on BBC Radio 5 Live, perhaps igniting a bit of frustration in Salah could be beneficial.