Liverpool were held to a disappointing draw with Leeds United on New Year's Day
Former Liverpool striker Michael Owen discusses the 0-0 draw with Leeds United on January 1, 2026
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Former Liverpool striker Michael Owen has bemoaned a lack of creativity from Arne Slot's Premier League champions, insisting the team misses Mohamed Salah.
The Reds are on an eight-game unbeaten run since the end of November but were held to a goalless draw with Leeds United at Anfield on New Year's Day and had just four shots on target, only one of which came in the second half as they searched for a winner.
Their total of 30 goals scored so far is their worst at this stage of the season for 10 years, when Jurgen Klopp was just a couple of months into his new job on Merseyside, and Owen, who scored 158 times for the Reds, believes the side is struggling without Salah, the top marksman of the last eight seasons, who is currently with Egypt at the Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco.
"Well, sometimes it’s not only tactical – sometimes it’s just an attitude thing, an urgency, a desire,” Owen said. “I did think late on in the game they weren’t playing wide enough. Federico Chiesa came on and he didn’t really know where he was standing.“Cody Gakpo came on but so did Rio Ngumoha, and they were tripping over themselves standing in the same position. Conor Bradley, normally an attacking threat down the right side, I thought that was one of his worst games.“There was just no creativity. I said to Macca (Steve McManaman) before the game that I like the balance of Liverpool’s team, but I don’t really see many goalscorers.“Normally, you see a Mohamed Salah and a Hugo Ekitike and an Alexander Isak and a Gakpo, and you think there are goals among those.“Look at that team today and Florian Wirtz is struggling for goals and for performances, and you’ve got a right wing-back (Jeremie Frimpong) playing in place of Mo Salah at the moment.“It just shows you people saying Salah should have been dropped or sold – I mean, that’s them without Mo Salah."
Liverpool return to action when they are hosted by Fulham on Sunday afternoon before a trip to Arsenal next week.