Why Is Mohamed Salah Starting to Become Liverpool's Problem?

The search for a scapegoat in Liverpool's defense seems never-ending. After right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold was identified as a weak point in defense for years, it is now the turn of winger Mohamed Salah to inherit that negative label.

The positioning of Salah, when Liverpool was without ball possession, was exposed in the 1-2 defeat against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Sunday (5/10/2025). The witness was Chelsea's wing-back, Marc Cucurella, who benefited the most from Salah's confusion in defense.

There is no longer a retreat in defense, Salah is also less aggressive in closing down space when Liverpool plays with a high block. "We know Salah is always ready to counterattack. So, we practiced exploiting that space (on Salah's side). It worked, and we won," said Cucurella.

There is one commonality in Chelsea's pair of goals. Salah consistently lost track of Cucurella, who always exploited the right side of Liverpool's defense. As a result, the players of "The Reds" often found themselves outnumbered on the flanks, whether in one versus two or two versus three situations.

One week prior, after losing to a goal from Crystal Palace at the end of the match, Liverpool Manager Arne Slot criticized one of his players. He stated that there was a player who wanted to counterattack immediately while the threat from the opponent had not yet subsided. The player in question is suspected to be winger Cody Gakpo.

That low defensive sensitivity was reiterated by Salah. In the scheme of Chelsea's first goal, Salah was initially level with Cucurella. However, he fell behind by several meters from Cucurella within a few seconds. A two-on-one situation was created on Liverpool's right side. That disorganized defensive structure ended with a goal conceded from midfielder Moises Caicedo.

Salah was left behind because he immediately took a step forward, while Cucurella moved in the opposite direction. The ball did briefly find itself in a crowd of Chelsea and Liverpool players. However, Caicedo was able to control the ball well. Salah's movement appeared rushed and far from disciplined.

In Chelsea's second goal, Salah even lost track of Cucurella twice. After allowing the wing-back to receive a pass before the halfway line, Salah attempted to chase and close down the space. However, Cucurella managed to break free again in Liverpool's half. Cucurella provided the assist for the winning goal for "The Blues" at the end of that attack.

Slot stated that he did not substitute Salah because he was aiming for victory at Chelsea's home ground. "I have considered all possible player substitutions, but you cannot take Salah off when you need a goal. You have to keep him on the field," he said.

It is true that Salah was exposed in that defeat, but should the 33-year-old player be blamed? This has become a topic of debate. In fact, Salah was given the freedom not to engage too much in defense since last season. His primary task is to punish opponents with counterattacks.

The problem is that Liverpool has lost many hardworking players who could fill the gaps in defense. Attackers such as Luis Diaz, Darwin Nunez, and Diogo Jota are no longer available this season. They have been replaced by offensive players who are less efficient and have not adapted well when out of possession, namely Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz.

The Slot strategy also played a role in that defeat. He aimed to neutralize Chelsea's attacks through the central area. His method involved maintaining a one-on-one matchup against Chelsea's midfield duo, Enzo Fernandez and Caicedo. This left midfielders Dominik Szoboszlai and Ryan Gravenberch unable to effectively cover the space left by Salah.

He mistakenly revealed his new role at the end of last season. "Now, I don't have to defend too much. I told him (Slot), 'As long as you rest me during defense, I will contribute more in the attacking line," he said.

"The King of Egypt," as he is nicknamed, proved that statement last season. He led Liverpool to victory with a contribution of 29 goals and 18 assists. Salah demonstrated a high level of efficiency in the attacking line. The problem is, that performance has not been evident since the beginning of this season.

Salah has only produced two goals and two assists in seven league matches. This figure is far from the projection to replicate last season's achievements. Only one goal was scored from open play. The other goal came from a penalty awarded in the match against Burnley.

The quality of Salah's attacks is being questioned at Stamford Bridge. He had quite a few opportunities to punish the opponent during transitions. However, he often made incorrect decisions. When he should have passed to another player, he instead shot. The reverse is also true. Salah's finishing was not as good as usual.

The decrease in that threat is also evident in the statistics of expected goals (xG) and expected assists (xA). According to data from Sky Sports, for the first time since the 2018-19 season, Salah is outside the top 10 in the xG rankings (29th) and xA (14th). He topped both metrics in the previous season.

The reality on the ground and the statistics highlight the main issue for Liverpool. Instead of focusing on Salah's defensive shortcomings, it would be better for them to find ways to restore the player's best performance in attack. This is because Salah is a forward and not a defender.

Under Slot's guidance, Liverpool is also known as a highly offensive team. Therefore, it is difficult to see "The Reds" retaining the league title without significant contributions from their best strikers. (AP/REUTERS)