Amid increasing media pressure surrounding Anfield, Liverpool manager Arne Slot has come out to strongly defend the team's star player, Mohamed Salah, against recent criticism of his failure to score in the last nine Premier League matches.
During the pre-match press conference ahead of the highly anticipated clash against West Ham United, Slott emphasized that confidence in the "Egyptian Pharaoh's" abilities remains unshaken. He pointed out that Salah's long history with the team speaks for itself, and that a return to scoring form is simply a matter of time. Slott stated, "We are accustomed to Mohamed scoring many goals, and despite the talk of his nine-game goal drought in the league, I am absolutely confident that he will soon be back to his favorite pastime.".
Do the numbers deceive the public?
In refuting the negative statistics circulating, the Liverpool manager explained that data can be misleading if taken out of context. Slot cited the recent FA Cup match against Brighton, saying, "Just three games ago, Salah scored a goal and assisted another against a very strong team like Brighton, and that's the reality. Some people might manipulate the data and focus only on the league to say he hasn't scored in nine games, but the fact remains that he's still a threat.".
A golden history and high expectations
This temporary goal drought cannot be discussed without considering the historical context of Mohamed Salah's contributions to Liverpool. Since joining the Reds in 2017, the Egyptian star has shattered records and become the club's all-time leading scorer in the Premier League era. This immense legacy is what makes any dip in his scoring form seem like a major crisis to the media and fans.
Slot commented on this point, indicating that Salah is a victim of his previous brilliance, saying: “Salah is not the only striker at Liverpool whose scoring rate has declined slightly compared to what we are used to, but the problem is that he raised expectations to record levels, and that is why people feel surprised and shocked when his name is absent from the scoreboard for a short period.”.
Tactical impact and competitive challenges
Analysts believe that tactical changes may be contributing to the fluctuations in attacking statistics, as the new style of play requires different roles from the wingers, sometimes focusing more on playmaking than direct finishing. Salah's statistics this season (28 matches across all competitions, scoring 7 goals and providing 8 assists) show that he remains a vital element in the attacking system, even if his goal tally has temporarily dropped.
Salah's return to scoring is of paramount importance to Liverpool at this crucial stage of the season, as the team seeks to secure its place in the top four and compete for available titles. Everyone is counting on the Egyptian star's experience to decide the big matches, starting with the upcoming West Ham game.
