Liverpool's Shocking Decision: The Real Reason Behind Mohamed Salah's Consecutive Benchings
Liverpool boss Arne Slot revealed that Mohamed Salah was placed on the substitutes' bench for Wednesday's 1–1 stalemate against Sunderland in an effort to strengthen the team's defensive structure.
Salah expressed his displeasure at remaining unused during the weekend triumph against West Ham United, and the Egyptian forward had to endure another bench start on Wednesday, though he was introduced during the second period of the match.
The notion of benching Salah had been floated by disgruntled Liverpool supporters long before the previous weekend, as the 33-year-old's minimal defensive contribution was becoming untenable during the club's disappointing spell, and Slot acknowledged this was behind his recent choice to start Salah among the substitutes.
"During the opening period, we deployed [Dominik] Szoboszlai on the right flank to maintain sufficient defensive solidity and avoid conceding as frequently as we have in recent matches," Slot explained.
The Liverpool manager was subsequently questioned about whether he intended to utilize Salah more frequently in upcoming fixtures due to his approaching departure for the Africa Cup of Nations—teams must release players by Dec. 15 at the latest—or if he would persist with selecting the optimal lineup for each specific opposition.
"That remains the approach," Slot emphasized. "It's not related to Mo or any other individual."
Slot: Gakpo Failed to Generate Chances in Opening Half
Salah's entry into the match came at the cost of Dutch winger Cody Gakpo, who managed only one failed dribbling attempt during the opening 45 minutes before being substituted at halftime.
"From my perspective, Cody found it challenging to win his individual duels," Slot elaborated. "When you're trying to break down... as I mentioned, they applied high pressure but also dropped into a defensive block in various situations, [so] the method to find the net is straightforward: you require a flash of brilliance from a player or you need a dead-ball situation to score.
"I sensed during the first half that Cody was unable to produce that spark because he couldn't establish dominance in one-on-one situations or deliver quality crosses.
"I switched to Mo on the right wing and positioned Florian Wirtz on the left flank. As I mentioned, we barely allowed any chances, but creating that magical moment proved challenging throughout the entire match. From our set-piece opportunities, we came close once—I believe it was Macca [Alexis Mac Allister] in the opening half who struck the woodwork from a dead ball—but we had sufficient chances, particularly late in the second half, yet failed to convert."
This outcome positions Liverpool in eighth place in the Premier League table, trailing leaders Arsenal by 11 points. They face a challenging away fixture at Elland Road on Saturday against a Leeds United team buoyed by their impressive 3–1 victory over Chelsea on Wednesday.