Mo Salah experienced a rare sight on Sunday – watching an entire Premier League match from the bench as Liverpool defeated West Ham.
Before the weekend, the Egyptian had missed only five minutes of league action all season, so his omission from the starting XI at the London Stadium was immediately noticeable. Arne Slot opted not to introduce him at any stage of the 2-0 win, a call which Sky Sports’ Peter Smith said sent “shockwaves”, especially after Wayne Rooney publicly suggested Salah should be dropped due to his slow start to the campaign, with just five goals so far.
Slot praises Salah’s response to being left out
Speaking at Tuesday’s press conference ahead of Liverpool’s clash with Sunderland, Slot was asked whether Salah had been unhappy about losing his starting place.
The head coach responded (via the Liverpool Echo):
“It’s a fair assumption and a normal reaction for someone of his level. Of course a player isn’t happy when he’s not playing. He wasn’t the only one, I can tell you.
“The way he acted was exactly what you’d expect from a true professional. He supported his teammates and handled the situation really well.
“You can’t perform every three days if you’re driven by emotion alone, but Mo is incredibly disciplined. He’s always been the model professional, including over the last few days.”
Salah now has something to prove after shock exclusion
While Slot will publicly defend his star forward, it’s natural that Salah won’t have been pleased to be left out. Still, you’d expect a player of his mentality to respect the coach’s decision and channel that frustration into winning back his place.
Slot’s choice underlined the reality that no one in the squad is guaranteed a start. With three matches in quick succession before next Tuesday, rotation is essential, and the Dutchman made it clear that performances must stay consistently high.Salah will know his recent form hasn’t matched his usual standards, and with the fast turnaround, he could quickly find himself back in the XI.
As Mail Sport journalist Lewis Steele suggested, being dropped might just sharpen his motivation to show Slot he remains Liverpool’s attacking reference point.Even if he begins on the bench against Sunderland, expect him to return to the starting lineup soon—and don’t discount the possibility of him making an immediate impact when called upon.
