Mohamed Salah was deemed "non-existent" in Liverpool's recent Merseyside derby victory, with the Reds narrowly securing a win over Everton. Liverpool needed Diogo Jota's second-half goal to clinch the triumph as Salah struggled to leave his mark on the game.
Salah has been having one of the standout seasons of his career and has prompted discussions about him potentially nabbing the Ballon d'Or later this year. At 32, he could even set personal bests with over 30 goals already under his belt, but still experienced an off night on Wednesday.
Everton came to Anfield after managing to snatch a thrilling draw against their rivals earlier in the season. The Toffees have undergone a resurgence since David Moyes took the helm once again and posed a threat with Beto striking the woodwork and seeing a goal voided.
The Everton defense managed to minimise Liverpool's clear opportunities and contained Salah effectively, leading former Red Stephen Warnock to give a blistering assessment on-air. Addressing the BBC, he said: "Luis Diaz was the bright spark. Mo Salah was non-existent."
With Salah entering the derby having netted in seven of his previous eight Premier League matches and leading the Golden Boot race, Warnock highlighted that, despite the team's rather lacklustre overall performance, the title contenders will undoubtedly be thankful for coming away with the three points.
He expressed: "Huge relief. A lot of Liverpool fans came here tonight thinking, 'please win at any cost, make sure you get across the line'. They know what Everton is like, sitting in deep and they also realise that under David Moyes Everton carry a threat going forward. They thought this could have been the night that Everton came here and spoiled the party. Liverpool was poor but has done enough to get across the line."
Mohamed Salah had a rare quiet night
Liverpool's victory reinstated a 12-point lead atop the table over Arsenal, with a second Premier League title appearing inevitable. With Arne Slot at the helm, the Reds are on track to surpass the 90-point threshold in his inaugural season.
Slot acknowledged the challenge ahead of the derby, remarking: "Hard-fought, definitely, but that was no surprise. Everton were nine games in a row unbeaten, hardly ever concede a goal, hardly ever concede a chance, defend with 10 players apart from Beto in and around their 18-yard box.
"With players like [James] Tarkowski and [Jarrad] Branthwaite it is almost of no use to bring a cross in because they head every ball away. So, they are a team that is difficult to play against because they are also a threat on the counter-attack."