Liverpool secured a rare Premier League win over the weekend versus West Ham at the expense of a couple of key names.
Frank Leboeuf says Hugo Ekitike should be upset after he was benched for a second Premier League game in a row.
Meanwhile, Mohamed Salah lost his place in the eleven and, perhaps more surprisingly, didn’t even come on against West Ham United.
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Is this the beginning of the end for Salah?
Mohamed Salah looks dejected during Liverpool's UEFA Champions League match against PSV Eindhoven at Anfield.
Mohamed Salah after 13 Premier League games 24/25:
11 goals
7 assists
Mohamed Salah after 13 Premier League games 25/26:
4 goals
2 assists
Wayne Rooney has been very vocal about Salah in the 2025/26 season, while Jamie Carragher has also questioned the ageing winger previously.
Jamie Carragher defends Mohamed Salah
After the Champions League defeat to PSV last Wednesday, Carragher called for Salah to step up off the pitch and start facing the press more.
But the former Liverpool centre-back has now come out in defence of the 33-year-old post-West Ham.
While he remains of the opinion that Salah needs to do more off the field, Carragher thinks the criticism aimed at the forward on the pitch is harsh.
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Speaking on The Overlap, he said: “I’ve been critical of Mo Salah more off the pitch this season. Actually, on the pitch, I think he’s had too much criticism.
“The team’s not playing well, so he’s not going to be as good. He is getting into his early 30s and we’re talking about the first season he’s ever had where it hasn’t been amazing.
“Even though Liverpool have had poor seasons in and if you go back over the last seven, eight years, Salah scored 30 goals. It’s the first time he’s ever had a poor sort of and by the way, it’s not a season, it’s a start to a season.
“But it goes back to the makeup of the squad and me saying don’t play him. If you still look at how Liverpool set up yesterday, they basically played without a right winger because they haven’t got one behind him to replace him.
“So basically going forward that the makeup of that team yesterday. Yes, we won and everyone’s happy as a Liverpool fan.
“That’s not the template really for Liverpool going forward as a proper team.”
Mohamed Salah decision comes at the right time for Liverpool
Is Salah going to have a bit-part role at Liverpool for the remainder of the season? That seems unlikely.
However, we already know he will be leaving Anfield in December to compete at the AFCON and could be away until the back end of January if Egypt make it to the final.
So, Arne Slot was always going to have to find ways to compete without the club icon this winter anyway, and the West Ham fixture showed they can.
Dominik Szoboszlai impressed in Salah’s place, and his position change allowed Florian Wirtz to thrive in his preferred number 10 role.
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