Mohamed Salah faces uncertain Liverpool future amid record goal drought
Mohamed Salah is enduring the longest goal drought of his Premier League career despite re-establishing himself in the Liverpool starting line-up under Arne Slot.
The Egypt captain was one of the first players to depart the dressing room following Sunday’s victory at Nottingham Forest.
When approached for comment, the forward politely declined with a smile before heading to the team bus, cutting a relaxed figure despite the speculation surrounding him.
Tension and reconciliation
The scene marked a stark contrast to his explosive interview at Elland Road two months ago.
Salah had previously claimed the club “threw him under the bus” after being omitted from the starting XI for three consecutive matches.
Sources indicate the 33-year-old considered releasing a social media statement but chose to speak out publicly due to the depth of his frustration.
“I don’t know why but it seems to me that someone doesn’t want me in the club,” he stated at the time.
However, the situation appears to have de-escalated significantly since that outburst.
The former Roma winger apologised to his team-mates and shook hands with manager Arne Slot, who insisted the matter was resolved.
Return to the fold
Since returning from the Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) in January, Salah has started every game for the Reds.
While the club’s injury crisis has necessitated his inclusion, his application has drawn praise from his head coach.
Following a goal and an assist in the FA Cup victory over Brighton, Slot highlighted the attacker’s work ethic.
“What I like the most is he is scoring goals [which you] almost expect – but he also helps the team a lot defensively and that is something very positive,” said Slot.
This defensive improvement is backed by data, showing an increase in possession recovery compared to the previous campaign.
A worrying statistical drop-off
Despite his reintroduction to the side, the prolific forward is currently navigating uncharted waters regarding his output.
Salah has registered two goals and four assists in eight games across all competitions since his return from international duty.
However, he has not found the net in the Premier League since November.
Failure to score against West Ham at Anfield on Saturday would extend his barren run to 10 top-flight matches.
This represents the longest goal drought of his distinguished Premier League career.
“He sets his own standards and those are so, so high that the moment he doesn’t score for a few games, people are immediately surprised. That’s probably the biggest compliment he can get,” Slot admitted on Friday.
The numbers illustrate a clear decline, with his average goal and assist contribution dropping to 0.56 per game this season, down from 1.25 last term.