Salah under scrutiny as Liverpool struggles continue

Mohamed Salah, long hailed as Liverpool’s “Egyptian King,” is facing growing criticism as his recent performances fall short of his usual high standards. The forward was once again below par in Liverpool’s 2-1 loss to Chelsea on Saturday, missing key chances and showing little defensive effort.

Salah has now failed to score in five of Liverpool’s seven Premier League matches this season, and his dip in form is proving costly. The defeat at Stamford Bridge marked Liverpool’s third loss in just eight days, allowing Arsenal to move above them at the top of the table.

With only three goals and three assists in nine appearances across all competitions, Salah’s numbers are underwhelming compared to previous seasons. Even more concerning is the perception that the 33-year-old is not contributing enough off the ball.

In the match against Chelsea, Salah offered little defensive cover, leaving right-back Conor Bradley exposed. Bradley was substituted at half-time after struggling to cope with Chelsea’s attacks, especially down Salah’s side. The decisive goal from Estevao Willian in stoppage time came from that same flank, with Marc Cucurella left unchallenged to provide the assist.

Cucurella later admitted Chelsea targeted the space Salah left open, revealing that manager Enzo Maresca had instructed the team to exploit the forward’s lack of tracking back.

Salah’s defensive shortcomings have become more noticeable since the tail end of last season. Despite finishing with 29 goals and winning the Premier League Golden Boot as Liverpool claimed a record-equalling 20th league title, his output has declined sharply. He has managed just two goals in his last 11 appearances and was ineffective as Liverpool exited the Champions League at the hands of Paris Saint-Germain.

The Egyptian has previously claimed he had an agreement with manager Arne Slot to focus on attacking duties. “I told him as long as you rest me defensively, I will provide offensively. I will show you the numbers. So I’m glad that I did,” Salah said after the title win.

However, that strategy is now under fire. Critics argue that the freedom given to Salah is hurting Liverpool, especially against stronger opponents. Former Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney voiced his concerns, saying Salah’s lack of effort in defence was evident against Chelsea. “When it’s going well and you are scoring goals, the team will put up with that. But over the last week, I’d question his work ethic,” Rooney said.

Ex-Liverpool midfielder Danny Murphy echoed the sentiment, suggesting Salah’s defensive lapses have become a real problem against top teams.

Slot now faces a tactical dilemma. He benched Salah for the first hour of last week’s Champions League defeat to Galatasaray, and later questioned whether that decision impacted the forward’s sharpness against Chelsea.

“It’s not like every chance he gets is always a goal,” Slot said. “We feel sometimes it is, because of what he has done so many times. But yeah, he is a human being.”

The Liverpool manager is urging patience, but with the team faltering and Salah underperforming, pressure is mounting to find a solution quickly.