Liverpool’s 2-0 victory over West Ham on Sunday sparked fresh debate about whether the club is beginning to prepare for life without Mohamed Salah after head coach Arne Slot left the 33-year-old on the bench for a Premier League match for the first time since April 2024.
Slot’s decision followed weeks of scrutiny over Salah’s form. The forward, who has been central to Liverpool’s success for nearly a decade, has struggled this season and will soon join Egypt for the Africa Cup of Nations. Slot said Salah still has a strong future at the club but accepted that current performances have made selection decisions more difficult.
Liverpool’s reshaped lineup delivered a much-needed result after a long spell of poor form that included nine defeats in 12 matches. Alexander Isak scored his first league goal since his record move from Newcastle, while Florian Wirtz played a key role in midfield. Cody Gakpo assisted Isak’s opener and added a second goal in stoppage time.
Slot restored Joe Gomez at right-back, which strengthened Liverpool’s defence after conceding 10 goals in their previous three games and freed Dominik Szoboszlai to return to an attacking role.
Salah watched from the bench as Liverpool kept a clean sheet and secured only their second league win since mid-September. Analysts said the decision to leave him out was justified. Former England captain Alan Shearer said Salah “cannot complain” because of his dip in form and called the move a necessary step for a team looking to recover.
Despite his recent struggles, Salah’s record remains exceptional. Since joining Liverpool in 2017, he has scored 250 goals in 419 appearances and holds a league win rate of 64 percent. Liverpool have won 263 matches in all competitions with Salah in the team.
Slot is expected to decide soon whether Salah returns to the starting lineup when Liverpool host Sunderland on Wednesday. Meanwhile, Isak said the goal ended a frustrating drought and he hopes it will help him build momentum after a slow start to his Liverpool career.
With inputs from BBC