Not Finished Yet: Salah…

LIVERPOOL — The Anfield crowd continues to revel in a familiar sight. For nearly nine years, it has become a matchday tradition for Mohamed Salah to salute the Kop after scoring a crucial Liverpool goal. This was once again the case on Saturday night when the Egypt international played a key role in an impressive victory over Brighton & Hove Albion in the FA Cup fourth round.

This season, 2025-26, has been somewhat underwhelming in the context of Salah’s illustrious Liverpool career, with his most notable moment coming from a fiery interview following the 3-3 draw against Leeds United in December. The interview, where he criticized both Slot and the club’s management, raised concerns about the future of his tenure at Anfield. However, his performance against Brighton suggested he has put personal frustrations aside for the team’s benefit.

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His decision to focus on teamwork may be crucial for Liverpool’s aspirations this season. Although it’s clear that Father Time is catching up with him, Salah’s latest performance illustrated that he remains a game-changer, even as he takes on a more supportive role.
On Saturday, Salah assisted Dominik Szoboszlai and converted a penalty, helping the Reds advance to the fifth round. This marked his 15th instance of both scoring and assisting in a match for Liverpool since last season, significantly outpacing any other Premier League player during that timeframe (with Bukayo Saka and Erling Haaland achieving this feat six times each).

His expertly placed pass for Szoboszlai shows that only Bruno Fernandes has more assists for Premier League clubs since mid-December (four), especially impressive given that Salah missed over a month for the Africa Cup of Nations.

His performance against Brighton, alongside several outstanding Liverpool players, showed that Slot’s team is regaining the brilliant form they had struggled to find this season. On the left flank, Milos Kerkez continued to demonstrate his resurgence, blending tenacity and skill, a significant factor in his transfer from AFC Bournemouth last summer for £45 million.

Kerkez’s standout moment was exquisitely setting up Curtis Jones to score just before halftime. Jones, stepping in as right back amid an injury crisis, showcased his talent by calmly finishing from close range, validating the reasons behind Internazionale‘s interest in him this January, reflecting Liverpool’s desire to secure his services beyond the summer of 2027.

However, it was the second half where Liverpool truly shone, culminating in Szoboszlai’s superb finish, epitomizing the dazzling football reminiscent of their best moments last season under Slot. Szoboszlai’s goal marked his 10th of the season, and he looks poised to surpass his single-season record of 12 goals set while playing for RB Salzburg during the 2019-20 campaign.

Liverpool’s command was enhanced when Salah skillfully navigated through three Brighton defenders before being fouled by Pascal Groß in the box. Salah confidently converted the subsequent penalty kick, earning applause as he was substituted later in the half for the promising Rio Ngumoha, receiving a well-deserved standing ovation.

In his post-match press conference, Slot praised Salah: “It’s fantastic to see him scoring again and providing an assist. What stands out the most to me is not just his goal-scoring, which is expected, but also his contributions defensively, which is a real positive.” He added, “The team needs to maintain this intensity for upcoming matches, and we’re starting to see the quality we possess, leading me to believe that the future is bright for this club.”

Whether Salah will be a part of that promising future is uncertain. His current contract runs until next season’s end, and interest from other clubs is likely as discussions may unfold this summer. After the match, Salah completed a lap around the pitch as his chant echoed through the stadium.

This was a fitting conclusion to a successful evening for Liverpool. Based on his performance, Salah still has plenty of contributions to make before his time at Anfield comes to an end.