Liverpool: Slot’s new tactics are 'consuming' Salah

09/10/2025 10:35:00 GoalGuru

Liverpool began this season flawlessly, sitting atop the Premier League table after the opening month and regarded as serious title contenders. Yet, three straight losses have cast a shadow over the mood at Anfield.

In this context, Mohamed Salah, Liverpool’s symbol for almost ten years, has become the center of skepticism: What is going on with him, and why has the "Egyptian King" deteriorated so quickly?

"When the Egyptian King loses his magic"

After a brilliant 2024-25 season with 34 goals and 23 assists across all competitions, Salah entered this season with enormous expectations. Yet, after 10 matches, he has only scored 2 goals in the Premier League and hasn’t netted from open play since the opening round. His insensitive finishing, clumsy ball control, and the stunned expression leaving the pitch after the Chelsea defeat have left fans feeling unfamiliar with the player once regarded as Europe’s most fearsome goal machine.

Performance metrics reveal a clear decline. Salah has taken only 11 shots excluding penalties in the first 7 rounds—half the amount compared to the same period last season. His expected goals (xG) dropped from 3.31 to 1.18, and his touches inside the box fell from 9.5 to just 4.7 per game. In the two previous seasons where Salah had similar slow starts (2020-21 and 2022-23), Liverpool slipped out of the title race.

Many quickly attribute this to age, as Salah is now 33. Indeed, his top speed has decreased from 34.3 km/h to 32.5 km/h, the lowest since joining Liverpool. However, stats on sprint frequency and high-intensity runs show little decline, indicating his fitness remains stable. Therefore, the root cause is not his body but the drastically changed system around him.

Trent Alexander-Arnold’s departure marked a major turning point. Over 8 seasons, Alexander-Arnold and Salah exchanged over 3,000 passes, forming the Premier League’s most harmonious duo. Last season alone, Alexander-Arnold provided 37 key passes to Salah—the highest in the league. But with the English right-back gone, Liverpool’s right flank attacking chain has nearly collapsed. Replacements like Szoboszlai and Frimpong lack the long-passing skills and vision to link up with Salah. Consequently, the Egyptian forward has had to drop deeper, receiving the ball near the touchline instead of inside the box, where he was once lethal.

Salah has only scored 2 Premier League goals this season

Salah affected by new tactics

Arne Slot aims to create a more versatile Liverpool, no longer reliant on the right wing. He trusts Florian Wirtz, a 125 million euro signing from Leverkusen, as the new "playmaker." However, Wirtz operates as a traditional attacking midfielder, distributing the ball evenly on both wings instead of focusing on the right flank, meaning Salah no longer receives continuous service like before.

The difference is clear in the numbers: Salah and Wirtz have exchanged only 45 passes this season, while Alexander-Arnold alone used to pass to him over 1,000 times per season. The connections that were Liverpool’s lifeblood have vanished, making the team’s attacks disjointed. Even Cody Gakpo, who frequently combined with Salah last season, no longer maintains that chemistry.

Without proper support, Salah’s scoring efficiency has plummeted. Of Liverpool’s 13 Premier League goals up to early October, only 2 belong to Salah—a shockingly low figure for a three-time Golden Boot winner. On average per 90 minutes, Salah now produces 0.34 expected goals plus assists—comparable to a mid-level player like Brenden Aaronson. Last year, this number was 0.87—the highest in the Premier League.

Psychological factors also play a role. The sudden death of close teammate Diogo Jota in July caused a deep emotional shock. On the season opener, when Anfield sang Jota’s name, Salah couldn’t hold back tears. Despite his usually stoic demeanor, he is human—and that pain may have affected his performance.

Alongside this, the mounting pressure of huge expectations weighs heavily. Having just renewed his contract and becoming Liverpool’s highest-paid player ever, every performance is scrutinized intensely. When the team struggles, all eyes naturally turn to their biggest icon—Salah.

Who needs to change?

The biggest question now is: Who must adapt? If Salah no longer has the pace to break through as in his prime, perhaps Slot should modify his role—pulling him into the center, playing as a second striker alongside Isak in a 3-5-2 formation. Then Wirtz could operate behind, and Gakpo shift left as an attacking wing-back. This setup would bring Salah closer to goal and utilize his finishing instincts. Clearly, Liverpool cannot return to the top unless Salah rediscovers himself.

Since joining in 2017, all the club’s glory—2019 Champions League, 2020 Premier League, 2022 FA Cup—has been linked to his peak form. Salah has often faced doubts about being past his prime but always responded with goals and trophies. This time, the challenge is greater: He no longer has his close teammate Alexander-Arnold, the system built around him is gone, and time is not on the side of a player past his career peak.

Salah’s stats over the last 5 seasons (after 7 rounds)

2025-26: 2 goals, 2 assists

2024-25: 5 goals, 5 assists

2023-24: 5 goals, 4 assists

2022-23: 2 goals, 3 assists

2021-22: 7 goals, 4 assists

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