How Slot has reshaped Liverpool without Salah
Arne Slot’s decision to remove Mohamed Salah from the starting XI has forced a clear tactical reset.
Dominik Szoboszlai, naturally a central midfielder, has been pushed to the right wing, having already filled in at right-back earlier this season.
At Elland Road, that tweak almost paid off perfectly. Szoboszlai drifted in from the right and coolly made it 3–2 to Liverpool with 10 minutes left, before Leeds’ late equaliser and the chain of events that ended in Salah’s explosive post-match interview.
No early AFCON release – for now
Despite the tension, the Egyptian FA maintain there are no current plans for Salah to report early for AFCON.
The agreed date with Liverpool remains 15 December, two days after the home game against Brighton.
Slot has already confirmed that timeline publicly, but after Salah’s interview, there is real doubt over whether the 33-year-old will be involved away to Inter Milan or even against Brighton.
If he is left out of those squads, the door could open for him to link up with Egypt ahead of schedule.
Egypt’s plans: friendly, then Morocco
Egypt have a friendly lined up against Nigeria on 16 December in Cairo, a final tune-up before travelling to Morocco for the Africa Cup of Nations.
Any early arrival from Salah would give the national team extra preparation time, but at this point they insist nothing has changed in the agreed plan.
Have Liverpool actually improved without Salah?
On paper, the recent numbers look kinder to Slot since dropping Salah.
Liverpool had lost six of their previous seven when he started; since he’s been on the bench, they are unbeaten in three – a 2–0 win at West Ham, a laboured 1–1 at home to Sunderland and the chaotic 3–3 at Leeds.
Performance-wise, though, the jump is far from dramatic.
In Salah’s last start, a 3–0 home defeat to Nottingham Forest, Liverpool posted 1.79 expected goals. In the three games with Salah among the substitutes, their xG has been:
- West Ham: 1.57
- Sunderland: 1.38
- Leeds: 2.05
So the attack hasn’t clearly improved without him; the results are better, but the underlying threat is only marginally different.
What comes next for Slot and Salah?
Slot has tried to assert control with bold selections and a new shape, but leaving out the club’s biggest star twice in a row has created a delicate situation.
Whether Salah features against Inter or Brighton will be the next big clue: either a step towards reconciliation on Merseyside, or the start of a clean break as AFCON – and a major decision on his future – looms ever closer.
