Arne Slot says he dropped Mohamed Salah for Liverpool’s 1-1 draw with Sunderland because he felt the team he chose was best suited to the opponent.
The Dutch tactician was blunt in his response after being quizzed over Salah’s absence from the starting XI for a second consecutive Premier League game on Wednesday.
Salah had remained on the bench for Liverpool’s 2-0 win over West Ham at the weekend and was introduced at the interval against Sunderland, as Liverpool dropped points for the seventh time in their last nine league games.
The Reds needed a late goal to salvage a point against Regis Le Bris' side, with Florian Wirtz’s deflected shot rescuing them from another home defeat.
Slot Explains Mohamed Salah Snub
liverpool mohamed salah
Speaking after full-time, Slot was asked whether his decision to drop Salah was based on ‘picking the best team for a given opponent’:
“That’s always the situation. It has nothing to do with Mo or anyone.”
Dominik Szoboszlai started in place of Salah for a second game in a row, with Cody Gakpo occupying the opposite flank.
The Egyptian forward struggled to make an impact after coming on at the interval, with both of his shots blocked and just one of his five crosses reaching a teammate.
Salah has been a shadow of his usual self this season, scoring four goals and providing two assists in 13 league appearances for the Reds.
He has netted only twice in his last 13 games across all competitions and last registered an assist in the 2-1 win over Everton in September.
Liverpool Fail to Ease Pressure on Slot
Liverpool manager Arne Slot during their match against Real Madrid.
With just seven points from his last nine games, Slot continues to face scrutiny over a poor start to his second season at Anfield.
Liverpool have been unrecognisable under the Dutch tactician so far, securing only seven wins from 13 games and sitting eighth in the table.
The Reds return to Premier League action on Saturday at Leeds, who earned a stunning 3-1 victory over Chelsea at Elland Road on Wednesday.
Slot’s side then take on Inter Milan in the Champions League, as they look to bounce back from a 4-1 defeat to PSV in their previous European outing.