HISTORY MAKER: MO SALAH BREAKS WAYNE ROONEY'S SINGLE-CLUB GOAL INVOLVEMENT RECORD
Mohamed Salah silenced his critics by setting a new Premier League record (277 goal involvements) in a 2-0 win vs Brighton, providing an assist after his public rift with Arne Slot.
After some tense talks, Mohamed Salah returned to Liverpool's lineup against Brighton and helped secure a 2-0 victory at Anfield.
Salah wasn't happy about being benched during their 3-3 draw with Leeds United the previous weekend, feeling that Slot had unfairly blamed him.
As a result, the club left him out of the Champions League squad against Inter Milan, a game Slot’s team won 1-0.
On Friday, when asked if Salah had played his last game for the club, Slot responded, “I’m going to talk with Mo this morning. What happens in that talk will decide what happens tomorrow.
“I need to talk to him first. The next time I talk about Mo, it should be with him, not here. There’s not much else to say. I’ll speak with him today, and how that goes will determine things for tomorrow.
“You can try asking in different ways, but I should talk to him first. We’ve talked a lot this past week since the Sunderland game. His people and our people have talked, and he and I have talked.
“I’ll talk to him again today.”
His Return to the Field
After all those discussions, Slot decided to put Salah on the bench against Brighton. Dominik Szoboszlai, Alexis Mac Allister, and Florian Wirtz started just behind Hugo Ekitike.
Liverpool had a dream start at Anfield when Ekitike scored just 46 seconds into the game, making it the quickest goal in the Premier League this season.
But in the 26th minute, Joe Gomez had to leave the game due to an injury, forcing Slot to make a change.
Even with three defenders available on the bench, the coach decided to bring on Salah for Gomez, moving Szoboszlai to right-back.
The Liverpool fans gave Salah a big cheer, and he quickly made his presence felt, almost setting up Alexis Mac Allister just a minute after coming on.
Liverpool went up 2-0 in the 60th minute when Salah took a corner and found Ekitike, who headed the ball past the Brighton goalie.
“He gave me a great ball; I just had to be in the right spot,” Ekitike said after the game. “I was, and it was an easy finish.”
With that assist, Salah reached 277 goal involvements in 302 Premier League games for Liverpool—the most for any player at a single club, passing Wayne Rooney (276) at Manchester United.
He now has 280 Premier League goal involvements overall, with his first three coming for Chelsea in 2013/14. He’s now behind only Rooney (311) and Alan Shearer (324) in that statistic.
The 33-year-old seemed motivated to prove a point against Brighton after being dropped by Slot. Also, Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher had recently said that Salah's best days were behind him.
He played well, getting 45 touches, completing 27 of 32 passes (84%), successfully dribbling once, taking three shots, creating five chances, and, of course, providing that assist.
Arne Slot’s Thoughts
“I thought he was dangerous,” Slot told reporters after the game. “The first time he touched the ball, he almost made an assist to [Alexis] Mac Allister, who passed it across, and maybe could have shot himself.
“He was always involved in our attacks. It was good to see, but not surprising because he’s done it many times for Liverpool.”
When asked if Salah had shown that he wants to stay at Liverpool, Slot said, “I think you already know the answer.
“What we talked about stays between us. You saw what happened—he was in the squad and was the first player I subbed in.
“I never tell you guys what I talk about with Virgil [van Dijk] or Mo [Salah] or any other player.”
What’s Next?
Last weekend, Salah mentioned that he had invited his family to the Brighton game, hinting that it might be his last for Liverpool.
He patted the Liverpool badge and clapped to all areas of the crowd at full-time, but this week he avoided making any big statements, declining interview requests after the game.
The 33-year-old is scheduled to join his national team on Monday before the Africa Cup of Nations. Egypt's first game is on Monday, December 22nd, and they hope to make it to the final on Sunday, January 18th.
Sources say that the club will soon have more talks about his long-term future, which is still uncertain.
Several Saudi Pro League clubs are watching his situation closely, but his return against Brighton suggests that things between Salah and Slot can be resolved.
IBRAHIMA KONATé NEARS OFFICIAL LONG-TERM CONTRACT EXTENSION, SECURING FUTURE AT LIVERPOOL
Ibrahima Konaté confirms he is close to signing a new Liverpool contract, securing his future amid a major squad overhaul.
Ibrahima Konaté is set to sign a new long-term deal with Liverpool, finally putting all the rumours about his future to rest.
His contract was up this summer, and people kept linking him to clubs like Real Madrid. But after Liverpool’s 2-1 win over Everton on Sunday, Konate made it clear he never planned to leave. He’s become a regular since joining from RB Leipzig, and he told reporters negotiations with the club have been going on for a while. Now, the agreement’s almost done.
“We’ve been talking with the club for a long time,” Konate said, according to the Liverpool Echo. “We’re close. Honestly, I think everyone wanted this, and we’re nearly there. There’s a good chance I’ll be here next season; that’s what I always wanted.”
He’s just waiting for the paperwork to go through, but once it’s official, he’s sure sporting director Richard Hughes will be happy to share what Konate told him months ago.
“It’s taken a while, yeah, but that’s how negotiations go,” he added. “Just like with Van Dijk and Mo Salah last season, they signed in April. Maybe this is just how the club handles these things.”
Liverpool is set for a big summer change. Mohamed Salah and Andy Robertson are both expected to leave after nearly a decade, and van Dijk is now in the last year of his contract as he approaches 35. Naturally, there's a lot of talk about who steps up as leader in the dressing room next.
The club has already lined up some fresh faces. Jeremy Jacquet, the £60 million centre-back from Rennes, is on his way, and promising defender Giovanni Leoni is working his way back from an ACL injury he picked up last September.
Konate turns 27 next month, and he’s ready to step up and help lead the club into a new era. “I already act as a leader for the younger guys, for my own generation, everyone, really,” he said. “That’s just part of football. The legends move on, and then it’s our turn. I’ve been preparing for this for years, and especially over the last few months.”
“It’s a big responsibility, though. I can’t do it all alone. I’ll need everyone’s help.”
He also mentioned once more that he hopes people go and hear Richard Hughes’s side of the contract talks, saying, “Just wait till it’s all sorted, then ask him what I told him months ago before all the noise started.”
It’s been a tough season for Konate. Liverpool’s form has been erratic; they’ve lost 17 games in all competitions, including 10 in the league. Off the field, things have been even harder; Konate lost his father in January. He admits the last few months have been rough both personally and on the pitch. Still, he’s keeping positive and looking forward to what’s next, for himself and for Liverpool.
MAMARDASHVILI STRETCHERED OFF: LIVERPOOL TURN TO THIRD-CHOICE WOODMAN FOR DERBY GLORY
Liverpool wins 2-1 at Hill Dickinson Stadium. Arne Slot praises debutant Woodman after Mamardashvili injury.
Arne Slot shared that Giorgi Mamardashvili had to be taken to the hospital after suffering an injury, which unexpectedly handed Freddie Woodman his debut in the Merseyside derby for Liverpool.
Mamardashvili left the pitch on a stretcher following extensive treatment for a leg wound caused during Everton’s equaliser by Beto, while Mohamed Salah had opened the scoring earlier at Hill Dickinson Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
Stepping in once more for the hampered Alisson Becker, Mamardashvili was replaced by Woodman, who managed to keep a clean sheet as Liverpool clinched a dramatic victory thanks to Virgil van Dijk’s injury-time header in the 248th derby.
With both Alisson's and Mamardashvili’s recoveries uncertain, it looks like Woodman could be gearing up for his first Premier League start at home against Crystal Palace on Saturday, the same team against which he made his Liverpool debut in the League Cup defeat last October.
Slot commented, “Giorgi had to go to the hospital with a big wound, so we’ll have to wait and see how he’s doing.
“But Freddie deserves a lot of credit. Coming in just after conceding the equaliser, when the crowd was already expecting an Everton goal, he really stepped up.
“He stayed composed at a tricky moment, when he hesitated about whether to catch the ball, but kept his nerves steady.
“Freddie’s worked hard for this chance. Usually third-choice goalkeepers don’t get many opportunities, but given how this season has unfolded, anyone playing even in the under-8s at Liverpool should be ready to make their debut; it’s quite something to witness.”
Liverpool had already been without Hugo Ekitike and Joe Gomez, who played against Paris Saint-Germain last Tuesday. Slot named only eight players on the bench for the Everton match, including academy goalkeeper Armin Pecsi.
He added, “Is there anything surprising about the injury situation this season? Maybe not, since I had two goalkeepers on the bench today, which isn't typical. But of course, it’s related to the availability of other positions as well.
“Freddie did a great job.”
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