Arne Slot reveals the reason behind Salah's decline

During the press conference prior to the Brighton game, Liverpool’s manager Arne Slot shared insights on the players’ recent form. He was pleased with Wirtz and confident that Salah will bounce back soon, suggesting that Salah’s downturn is due to missing an important element.

After four consecutive losses across all competitions, Liverpool regained their winning touch with a 5-1 victory over Frankfurt. This match also marked a breakthrough for Florian Wirtz, who contributed two assists, ending a 10-game streak without any goal involvement for Liverpool. However, the brightest star of The Kop, Salah, remains goalless with six consecutive matches without scoring for the club.

Ahead of their away match at Brentford’s Gtech Community Stadium in the 9th round of the 2025/26 Premier League, coach Arne Slot held a notable press conference at the AXA training center. Following the 5-1 Champions League win over Eintracht Frankfurt, Liverpool’s spirits are high, but the Dutch coach remained cautious when discussing form, squad, and individual issues of key players.

Slot began by talking about Florian Wirtz, who made a strong impact in the recent big win.

“I find it quite funny that his second assist [against Frankfurt] was counted as an assist, while the pass before against Man United wasn’t, even though I think the pass [against Man United] was more difficult. But yes, the assist that made it 4-1 [against Frankfurt] was very good. Overall, I think Wirtz’s performance is something both I and Liverpool fans are happy with.”

The 46-year-old coach emphasized that Wirtz’s form reflects the team’s stability, not just an individual moment: “Against Man United or Frankfurt, the number of chances we created from open play was the same; the difference this time was that we scored two set-piece goals and kept a clean sheet.”

Mohamed Salah’s form remains one of the most discussed topics. The Egyptian forward has gone six games without scoring for Liverpool, but Arne Slot insists there is no cause for concern:

“I think this is a tough period for all of us, not just Salah. No one here is used to losing, including the newcomers.

Every player can miss chances, and Salah is human too. We’re not accustomed to seeing him miss, especially in consecutive games, but it happens. The only thing I’m certain of is that Salah always scores for this club, and I’m not worried about him returning to goal-scoring form soon.”

The Dutch manager also acknowledged that changes in the squad might have some impact on Salah:

“Throughout his Liverpool career, Salah has mainly played alongside Trent Alexander-Arnold, so changes at right-back can affect him. Nevertheless, Salah still has plenty of chances to score. When the team undergoes personnel changes, everyone needs time to rebuild connections, and Salah is no exception.”

At the end of the press conference, Slot praised Caoimhin Kelleher, Liverpool’s former goalkeeper who now plays for Brentford:

“Goalkeeper might be an exception, but I always think sitting on the bench too long isn’t good for players. For Kelleher, he felt it was time to get more game time, and clearly, he was right as he’s playing very well.”

Slot also mentioned Jordan Henderson, currently playing for Brentford: “In the Netherlands, people still talk about how much Ajax misses Henderson, which shows his influence at Ajax, Liverpool, and now Brentford.”

With a calm tone and detailed explanations, Arne Slot demonstrated he remains fully in control at Anfield. Although Liverpool is undergoing a rebuilding phase after many changes, the Dutch coach’s faith in Salah and Wirtz could be the foundation for the Reds to return to winning ways in the Premier League.

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