Arne Slot Shakes Up Liverpool Squad With Bold Team Overhaul After Shocking Slump Against West Ham
In a historic first during his tenure as Liverpool's head coach, Arne Slot has selected a Premier League starting lineup that excludes Mohamed Salah.
The Netherlands manager faces mounting criticism following nine losses in Liverpool's previous 12 matches, marking the club's poorest stretch in seven decades. While Slot dismissed speculation about his position being in jeopardy, he accepted complete accountability for this devastating series of results rather than pointing fingers at his squad.
External critics have been less forgiving.
Ex-Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney joined others in advocating for Salah's exclusion following last weekend's disappointing 3–0 loss to Nottingham Forest. The Egyptian attacker remained in the starting eleven for Wednesday's crushing 4–1 Champions League defeat at home against PSV Eindhoven but has now been relegated to substitute duties for Sunday's encounter with West Ham United.
Liverpool Starting XI vs. West Ham
(4-2-3-1): Alisson; Joe Gomez, Virgil van Dijk, Ibrahima Konaté, Milos Kerkez; Mac Allister, Ryan Gravenberch; Florian Wirtz, Dominik Szoboszlai, Cody Gakpo; Alexander Isak.
Mohamed Salah's 53-Match Streak Ends
Salah remained the sole Liverpool player to feature in every one of Slot's initial 50 Premier League fixtures. This confidence proved justified last season, as the 33-year-old attacker delivered one of the most spectacular individual performances in league history, breaking numerous records throughout the campaign while accumulating 29 goals and 18 assists.
This season, Salah produces a Premier League goal or assist every 179 minutes (versus one every 72 minutes previously). Adding to his declining offensive contribution, rivals have increasingly exploited his right-wing position, recognizing that Slot doesn't assign extensive defensive responsibilities to his star player.
Seldom has a recent fixture passed without Salah being circumvented during the lead-up to an opposing team's goal; Nottingham Forest exploited the winger's poor defensive tracking twice last weekend, while PSV's Mauro Junior casually drifted past Salah during the midweek demolition.
Florian Wirtz returns to the starting formation against West Ham replacing Salah. Despite the German creator's difficulties in unlocking defenses—he remains without a Premier League goal or assist—the 22-year-old demonstrates exceptional work rate across matches. Regrettably, the slight midfielder frequently loses physical battles when challenged for possession.
Coincidentally, West Ham's London Stadium was where Salah last began a Premier League game from the bench in April 2024. During Jürgen Klopp's final weeks, Salah engaged in a tense sideline confrontation with his manager before entering for the closing 11 minutes. His only post-match comment was the revealing statement: "If I speak today there will be fire."