Liverpool - Sunderland: Will Slot continue to rest Salah for Wirtz?

03/12/2025 07:24:00 ceshi

After omitting Mohammed Salah from the starting lineup in the 2-0 win over West Ham, everyone is questioning whether Arne Slot intends to rotate and rest the 1992-born star or if this move signals his commitment to renewing Liverpool’s squad.

Only a year ago, Salah shocked the football world by announcing he was close to leaving Anfield due to stalled contract talks with Liverpool. The result: about a month before last season ended, the Egyptian striker signed a new contract extending his stay until the end of the 2026-27 season.

Salah’s performance has declined significantly compared to last season.

At that time, Salah’s status at Anfield remained so strong it was considered "untouchable." No one forgets his 29 goals and 18 assists in the Premier League, which were crucial in helping Slot’s Liverpool clinch the title in his first season as manager in England. Slot himself played a notable role in retaining Salah amid attractive offers from the Saudi Pro League.

However, the situation since the season began shows a clear drop in Salah’s form. So far, he has only scored 4 goals and provided 2 assists in 12 appearances, which is significantly less than the 11 goals and 7 assists in 13 appearances last season. Salah’s last goal was nearly three months ago, a penalty in the 1-0 victory over Burnley on September 14. Not only has his goal contribution decreased, but Salah has also frustrated Slot by revealing weaknesses in defensive support, especially since Liverpool no longer has attacking players like Luis Diaz or Darwin Nunez who could assist him in duels. Mauro Junior easily bypassed Salah to participate in PSV’s second goal during their 4-1 Champions League win over Liverpool.

Marc Cucurella openly stated that Chelsea often attacked Liverpool’s right flank because Salah is weak in defensive support. Most recently, one factor in Man City’s 3-0 win was Jeremy Doku’s easy penetration down Liverpool’s right side, with Conor Bradley receiving no help from Salah. All this made Slot realize Salah was causing problems for Liverpool’s playing style. When Slot benched Salah, many changes followed. Joe Gomez, usually a backup center-back for Van Dijk and Konate, was used as right-back to move Szoboszlai back into midfield. Above all, without Salah, Slot found the best formula to use both Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak effectively.

Slot needs to bench Salah more often to help Liverpool’s attack operate efficiently.

Opportunity for Wirtz to demonstrate his ability.

Without Salah on the field, Slot can easily see his favorite attacking lineup this season, with Gakpo almost guaranteed a starting spot due to his diligence in defense and off-ball movement. The other two spots are contested by Salah, Isak, Wirtz, and Ekitike. Liverpool’s nearly £300 million investment in Isak, Wirtz, and Ekitike clearly indicates the club’s plan for a post-Salah attack, as the Egyptian striker struggles to maintain consistent form each week.

Regarding Wirtz, a signing from the Bundesliga, Liverpool aims to make the German the new playmaker at Anfield. Although he has yet to score for Liverpool, the recent match against West Ham showed positive signs in Wirtz’s play. The former Leverkusen midfielder has improved greatly in speed, precision, and strength compared to previous appearances. He tends to drift left to exploit runs into the middle. In 75 minutes against West Ham, Wirtz touched the ball 52 times and often combined well with left-back Kerkez, another Liverpool summer signing. He attempted 44 passes with a 95% success rate. Wirtz shows potential to become a key figure in Slot’s attacking revolution if placed correctly.

The question for Slot before tonight’s Round 14 match against Sunderland is: will he be strict with Salah to continue shaping the attack around Wirtz, Isak, and Gakpo? Or does the Dutch coach simply want to rest the Egyptian forward and bring him back to the starting lineup despite concerns about a slower, less effective Salah compared to previous seasons? This will not only decide tonight’s match but also the entire process of Liverpool’s recovery after recent poor form.

03:15 on 04/12, Elland Road: Leeds vs Chelsea.

Moises Caicedo’s red card in the 1-1 draw with Arsenal leaves Enzo Maresca struggling to find a replacement after stating Reece James needs rest following a full 90 minutes in the London derby. This creates an opportunity for Andrey Santos to prove himself after playing the entire match in the Burnley win last month. Additionally, Dario Essugo has recovered from injury and is ready to play, although Maresca remains cautious about the 20-year-old midfielder’s condition after being sidelined for over two months with a thigh injury.

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