Salah's decline signals Liverpool's struggles as well

04/10/2025 15:20:00 GoalGuru

For nearly a decade, Mohamed Salah has been Liverpool’s emblem, carrying most of the burden for scoring and creating chances.

Yet at 33 years old, signs of decline in the Egyptian striker are becoming more apparent, and as Salah loses his explosive edge, the entire Liverpool team becomes unsteady.

1. Dietmar Hamann – former Liverpool midfielder – frankly believes Salah is entering the decline phase. He notes that since the latter half of last season, the Egyptian star has struggled to score from open play. "Once players pass 30, especially in the Premier League, very few maintain stable output. Salah was once a rare phenomenon, but eventually things decline," Hamann warned.

This season’s stats back this up: Salah has only 3 goals and 3 assists in 9 matches, far below last season when he directly contributed to 47 goals in the Premier League alone. Furthermore, his impact on the game has diminished significantly. In the 1-2 loss to Crystal Palace, Salah had no shots on target, failed to beat defenders, and lost possession multiple times. The qualities that made him famous are fading.

More worryingly, Salah is no longer central to Liverpool’s play. Among the 30 most frequent passing combinations this season, he appears only twice, down from 4 last season. Florian Wirtz – a £116 million signing – has passed to Salah just 19 times in over 440 minutes. Even with Alexander Isak arriving for a record £125 million, Salah’s role hasn’t improved. Instead of sharing the attacking load, Isak inadvertently sidelines Salah in offensive situations.

2. Surface numbers sometimes don’t reveal the full picture. The biggest worry is the declining quality of Salah’s goals. Instead of technical moves and signature curled finishes, his goals this season mostly come from counterattacks or penalties.

Clearly, age is weighing heavily on Salah’s legs.

Advanced stats further highlight the decline: Salah ranks in the bottom 10% of the league for dribble success rate, completing only 20% of his attempts – much lower than his usual standard. He has also lost possession 12 times this season, among the worst in the Premier League.

Not only form but age and fitness are burdening Salah. At 33, he has played over 50,000 minutes in his career, significantly more than peers like Son Heung Min or Sadio Mane. Though rarely injured, constant play for club and country makes it hard for Salah to maintain sharpness.

Therefore, Liverpool had to renew his contract with a £380,000 weekly wage – a decision pressured by both sporting and image factors. But now, this is a burden as the club lacks quality alternatives on the right wing, and Salah can no longer maintain his previous level of excellence.

3. Salah’s decline is not just a personal matter but reflects Liverpool’s instability. The Reds’ wins this season often come from individual brilliance or opponents’ errors, rather than a coherent attacking system. Their expected goals (xG) currently rank 7th in the league, and they have only once won by more than one goal.

Two consecutive defeats to Crystal Palace and Galatasaray have revealed that Liverpool have yet to find a consistent winning formula. Coach Arne Slot struggles to integrate costly new signings and has not yet restored Salah’s killer instinct.

The upcoming match against Chelsea is a chance for Salah to prove himself again, especially since he has a knack for scoring against "The Blues." But if he continues to underperform, doubts about whether Salah has passed his prime will grow. Then Arne Slot will face a tough choice: continue trusting the club’s icon or boldly pursue a new path.

M.Vũ

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