Slot backs Salah to end goal drought amid concerns

Liverpool manager Arne Slot has brushed aside concerns over Mohamed Salah’s recent goal drought, insisting the Egyptian forward’s scoring touch will return soon.

Salah, who has scored just three times this season — one from the penalty spot — has now gone six matches without finding the net.

His last appearance saw him come off the bench for just 16 minutes in Liverpool’s midweek Champions League victory over Eintracht Frankfurt. The forward’s dip in form dates back to March, with only five goals in his last 23 games.

That win in Germany ended Liverpool’s worst run of results since 2016, but whether Salah’s form contributed to that slump — or was a consequence of it — remains open to debate.

Slot, however, remains unfazed, ESPN reports late Friday.

“I don’t know if it’s sharpness or not. It’s so difficult, I could come up with a few reasons which I’m not sure are the reasons.

“In general, football players miss chances and Mo is a human being as well. We are not used to him missing chances, let alone a few in a row, but these things can happen.

“It’s easier to finish a chance if you are 3-1 up than if you are 1-0 down but maybe that is not true for him.

“But the main thing is Mo has always scored goals for our club and the last thing I worry about is Mo starting to score goals again.

“That is what he has done his whole life and that is what I expect him to do in the upcoming weeks and months for our club as well,” Slot said.

The Dutch coach also pointed to Liverpool’s summer overhaul — including the departure of Trent Alexander-Arnold to Real Madrid and a £450 million influx of new players — as a factor in the team’s growing pains.

“I think [Salah] has been in promising positions often enough for him to score goals but maybe with Trent even more — I don’t know.

“But in general for every player, if you have quite a few changes in your squad during the summer then everyone has to find new connections again.

“Mo is not an exception to this and it might have something to do with that.

“In an ideal world, you play every game with the same team but it’s not realistic for a team which plays every three days. Even if you wanted to, it is not possible as Jeremie Frimpong has been in and out with injuries a few times, Conor Bradley has had injuries, let alone [Alexis] Mac Allister missed out on pre-season and so did Alex [Isak],” Slot said.

Slot and Salah will hope Saturday’s evening clash away to Brentford provides the spark the Egyptian needs.

The Bees have often brought out Salah’s best — he has scored six times in seven appearances against them.

Liverpool, however, will again be without Jeremie Frimpong and Alisson Becker, both sidelined with hamstring injuries. Updates are awaited on Alexander Isak, who sustained a groin problem midweek, and Ryan Gravenberch, who missed the Frankfurt trip with an ankle issue.

As the Reds look to rebuild rhythm, all eyes will be on Salah to rediscover the ruthless edge that made him one of Europe’s deadliest forwards.

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