-
Beth Lindop
Multiple Authors
Arne Slot has expressed his support for Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah, stating that he is certain the player will regain his goal-scoring prowess, emphasizing that “he always scores in the end.”
Salah has not found the back of the net in the Premier League since his two-goal performance against Aston Villa in early November. His ongoing nine-match goal drought marks the longest period without a league goal since joining the club from AS Roma in 2017, yet Slot remains optimistic about the Egypt international’s return to form.
“He has set incredibly high standards for himself, and when he goes a few matches without scoring, people are understandably surprised; this is the highest form of compliment,” Slot remarked.
“Statistics can be beneficial or misleading. If we want to stress something positive, we might overlook one or two games, and conversely, we can downplay a couple of matches if pointing out a negative aspect,” he continued.
“Just three games ago, he scored and assisted against a strong Premier League side like Brighton, so this context matters. Yes, he hasn’t scored in nine Premier League matches, but the reality is he has set incredibly high expectations for himself, which leads to surprise when he goes through a dry spell,” Slot added.
“We are accustomed to seeing Mo bagging plenty of goals, and right now, that’s the key difference impacting his current performance and playing time. This isn’t the first time he’s encountered a goal drought; I can’t recall if it was ever nine matches, but I’ve faced similar questions when he hadn’t scored in three or five. History shows he always finds a way to get back on track, and that’s our current challenge—to help him start scoring again.”
“It’s not solely about Mo; other attackers like Hugo [Ekitike] and Cody [Gakpo] have also faced difficulties finding the net. It’s a team issue we need to address. On a positive note, our defense is solid, minimizing the pressure on our forwards, especially since we scored six against Qarabag and four against Newcastle.”
– UEFA Champions League knockouts: Who can Premier League teams draw in the next round?
– Liverpool loves late drama – can Arne Slot address their slow starts?
– Rio Ngumoha seeks more playing time after ‘game-changing’ performance for Liverpool
Slot also confirmed that defender Jeremie Frimpong may be part of the squad for Liverpool’s match against West Ham United on Saturday after recovering from a hamstring injury. However, midfielder Florian Wirtz remains sidelined due to a back issue.
“I don’t anticipate Florian being ready, which is disappointing,” Slot acknowledged. “It’s always unfortunate when a player is unavailable, especially when it’s unforeseen. Unfortunately, this situation hasn’t evolved positively for him.”
When asked if he could estimate a timeline for Wirtz’s return, Slot responded, “Not at this time. Usually, when I say I don’t know, I actually do but prefer not to share; however, I genuinely have no idea right now.”
“It’s a significant achievement for him to have maintained his fitness for an extended period, considering the adjustment he needed to make transitioning to Liverpool and the Premier League. His ability to stay fit reflects his mentality and work ethic, along with the performance staff’s efforts. Nevertheless, we’re disappointed he’ll be absent after performing so well recently.”