Chelsea Masterfully Targets Salah's Achilles Heel to Stun Liverpool

Chelsea defender Marc Cucurella pointed out Mohamed Salah's reluctance to track back defensively as a vulnerability that his team capitalized on during their 2-1 triumph over Liverpool on Saturday.

Cucurella delivered the crucial low cross across Liverpool's penalty area that Estêvão converted in the 95th minute of a thrilling match at Stamford Bridge. The Spanish full-back had effectively contained Salah throughout most of the game in Chelsea's defensive zone and seized the opportunity created by the forward's high positioning when he advanced into the attacking area to provide the winning assist.

"We constantly look to go forward regardless of the circumstances," Cucurella told Sky Sports after the match. "Given their style of play, Salah maintains an attacking mindset, so we recognized that wide deliveries could work in our favor. That's how we secured victory today."

Salah's forward positioning isn't due to lack of effort, but represents a calculated gamble. By positioning Liverpool's key player near the opposition's defensive line, the Reds maintain Salah as an option for quick counter-attacking moves. This strategy significantly contributed to Liverpool accumulating a competition-high 14 transitional goals during their previous Premier League championship campaign.

Reducing Salah's defensive responsibilities also enables the 33-year-old to preserve energy for attacking moments. Following Liverpool's title confirmation last April, Salah discussed how Arne Slot's reduced expectations helped him claim the league's scoring crown after Jürgen Klopp's departure.

"Currently I don't need to defend extensively," Salah smiled. "The system is quite different. I mentioned, 'If you give me defensive rest, I'll deliver going forward,' so I'm pleased that [Slot] agreed. He was very receptive, and the statistics show it."

The statistics aren't as impressive this campaign.

Arne Slot Defends Mohamed Salah

As Salah has acknowledged, if he's excused from defensive duties, he must produce in attack. His accuracy was lacking on Saturday. The former Chelsea player wasted two decent scoring opportunities upon returning to Stamford Bridge, missing the target both times. Salah did generate a match-high four scoring chances, but managed only 35 touches, the lowest among players who played the full 90 minutes.

Slot dismissed any emerging criticism of his key player. "Today he had numerous chances to do what he's accomplished repeatedly, but he's human and not every opportunity he receives results in a goal," the Liverpool manager stated.

"We sometimes expect it because of his previous season's performance and frequent success, but he can also experience matches where he gets chances and finds himself in good positions without scoring or assisting."

Though Slot may want to dismiss this as an isolated incident, it's worth noting that Salah has netted only five goals in his last 21 Liverpool appearances across all tournaments.