Liverpool were thrashed 4-1 by PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League on Wednesday night at Anfield - and a moment involving Mohamed Salah summed up their recent struggles
head coach Arne Slot of FC Liverpool
Arne Slot was helpless on the touchline vs PSV(Image: Ryan Crockett/Getty Images)
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Mohamed Salah's lack of effort in helping his struggling Liverpool side defend was there for all to see at Anfield on Wednesday night as PSV Eindhoven became the latest side to take advantage of their dreadful form.
Liverpool were thrashed 4-1 by the Dutch side in the Champions League, making it three successive defeats by three goals. They have now lost nine of their last 12 games in all competitions and are in crisis as pressure ramps up on manager Arne Slot.
Salah is just one of many players who has been singled out for criticism recently, with Liverpool legend Graeme Souness one of the strongest voices. Souness said this week that Salah had "shown a lack of appetite" and "not turned up" this season following his incredible 2024/25 campaign, in which he contributed 34 goals and 23 assists.
He pointed to a specific incident in the Community Shield at the start of the season when Salah made no attempt to fight for a long ball played up into his area. Wayne Rooney has said that Slot should drop Salah from his side in order to send a jolt through the dressing room that the Egyptian star's lack of work rate is unacceptable.
But there was a telling moment in the thrashing by PSV that showed why Slot is unlikely to take such drastic action. Salah has started all 12 of Liverpool's Premier League games this season and three of five in the Champions League, with five goals and three assists to show for his efforts in attack.
It is in defence where his deficiencies have become obvious, with Liverpool no longer steamrollering opponents. With the score at 1-1 in the 56th minute, PSV played the ball out wide for midfielder Mauro Junior. Salah came out to close him down, only to put up the weakest of efforts as Junior easily skipped by him, just a few yards away from Slot on the touchline.
The PSV player then drove into a wide-open Liverpool midfield and played a perfect through ball through the defence which Guus Till finished with one touch to make it 2-1.
Mo Salah gets skinned
Mo Salah was easily beaten (Image: YouTube/TNT Sports)
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The goal highlighted a few of Liverpool's weaknesses, but particularly Salah's lack of interest in defending. He did not even attempt to get back after Junior and the sight of Slot stood silently on the touchline spoke volumes.
Speaking after the match, Jamie Carragher said Salah's "legs had gone", but called on Liverpool's other players to step up now that the Egyptian star, Virgil van Dijk and Alisson were no longer as reliable as before.
Salah skinned
He didn't try to run back - and Arne Slot said nothing
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Meanwhile, Curtis Jones gave a passionate interview in which he said Liverpool's players needed to show more effort and get stuck in to turn the tide. "Just tackle someone, be a dog out there," he told CBS. "It's not always about lads being nice on the ball and we play and play and play. Just go and smash someone."
Salah will leave Liverpool next month in order to play for Egypt at the Africa Cup of Nations. But with games coming thick and fast, it will be interesting to see whether Slot is brave enough to take him out of the firing line in the coming weeks.
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