Liverpool head coach Arne Slot has opened up about Mohamed Salah’s current form, offering an honest explanation for why goals from open play have become harder to find this season.
### Arne Slot’s Assessment of Salah’s Form
Speaking to Liverpool’s official website, the Dutchman emphasized that Salah’s situation cannot be viewed in isolation. Instead, he explained that the entire forward line is still adapting to new tactical challenges and different approaches from opponents.
Salah, who scored 12 goals in the second half of last season—only six from open play—has found it increasingly difficult to exploit space behind defenses. Slot pointed out that rivals have altered their strategies, making it harder for Liverpool’s attackers to break through.
“Mo has a part of this, already you could see this in the second half of last season and the first part of this season,” Slot said. “But now you are focused on Mo, the next time you are focused on Florian Wirtz, then on Cody Gakpo. What I’m trying to say is we don’t score as many open-play goals anymore as we did in the first part of last season.”
Slot’s decision to rest Salah during the Champions League clash with Galatasaray drew some criticism, but he reminded supporters that at 33 years old, the Egyptian forward must be managed carefully.
### How Salah’s Role Has Evolved
The manager went on to highlight two recent matches against Manchester United as examples of how tactical adjustments from rivals are restricting Salah’s chances.
“In the away game at Old Trafford, United tried to play out from the back and we took the ball off them three times. At Anfield, Onana only went long, and that made it much harder for us to score open-play goals,” Slot explained.
Salah remains central to Liverpool’s attack, but his role has naturally shifted within the new system. The arrival of record signing Alexander Isak has reshaped the frontline, while Florian Wirtz has been tasked with taking on more creative responsibility.
### Patience is Key
Despite concerns, football legend Alan Shearer has backed Salah to rediscover his scoring touch, insisting that class is permanent. Slot also underlined the importance of patience, arguing that once the new-look Liverpool attack fully gels, the goals will return.
“The more the team plays together in this shape, the more fluid our attacking patterns will become,” Slot concluded.
For now, Salah’s drought is seen less as an individual decline and more as part of Liverpool’s transitional phase under Slot. Fans will be eager to see if the Egyptian King can silence the critics and fire Liverpool back into form in the weeks ahead.
