Arne Slot Confident Mohamed Salah Will End Premier League Goal Drought
Liverpool manager Arne Slot has publicly backed star forward Mohamed Salah to rediscover his scoring touch in the Premier League, dismissing concerns over the Egyptian's current nine-game goal drought in the competition. Salah's last league goal came in a victory against Aston Villa on November 1, marking the longest such dry spell of his Liverpool career.
Slot Defends Salah's Form and Contributions
Speaking ahead of Liverpool's upcoming match against West Ham, Slot addressed the media's focus on Salah's scoring statistics. "We are used to Mo scoring a lot of goals, and at this moment, that is perhaps the most noticeable difference in his performance," Slot explained. "But we have seen this happen before. I don't recall if it was nine consecutive games, but I have faced similar questions when he went three or five matches without a goal. Ultimately, he always starts scoring again."
Slot emphasized that the intense scrutiny on Salah is a testament to the exceptionally high standards he has set during his time at Anfield. "He has established his own benchmarks, which are incredibly high," Slot noted. "When he doesn't score for a few games, people are immediately surprised—that is the greatest compliment he could receive."
Contextualizing the Statistics
The Liverpool manager argued that selective use of data can paint a misleading picture. He pointed to Salah's recent FA Cup penalty against Brighton as evidence that the forward remains capable of finding the net. "With data, you can use it to your advantage or disadvantage," Slot remarked. "If we want to highlight something positive, we might overlook a game or two; similarly, for something negative. Three games ago, he provided an assist and scored against a strong Premier League side, Brighton. That is the reality, yet we can manipulate the data to say he hasn't scored in nine league matches."
Slot also highlighted that Salah is not alone in experiencing a dip in goal output, noting that other forwards like Hugo Ekitike and Cody Gakpo have also struggled to score recently. "The focus is entirely on him because of everything he has achieved for the club," Slot added, "but Hugo and Cody haven't been scoring many goals lately either."
Team News Ahead of West Ham Clash
Looking ahead to Saturday's home fixture against West Ham, Slot provided updates on the squad's availability. Midfielder Florian Wirtz is expected to miss the match after suffering a back injury during the warm-up before last week's win at Nottingham Forest. His availability for the subsequent game against Wolves on Tuesday remains uncertain.
"I do not anticipate Florian being available for the West Ham match," Slot confirmed. "This is a disappointment and something I did not expect after last week. Sometimes situations evolve in ways that are not positive."
In more positive news, right-back Jeremie Frimpong has returned to contention after missing five games due to an injury sustained during the 6-0 victory over Qarabag.
As Liverpool prepares for a crucial period in the season, Slot's unwavering support for Salah underscores the manager's belief in the forward's ability to overcome this challenging phase and return to his prolific best in the Premier League.
