30 November 2025
Dutch manager Arne Slot made one of his boldest decisions since taking charge of Liverpool, benching Egyptian star Mohamed Salah for the team's match against West Ham in the English Premier League. This decision came in the wake of a humiliating 4-1 defeat to PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League at Anfield.
Liverpool are experiencing a severe crisis of results, having lost nine of their last 12 matches in all competitions. They have become a shadow of the giants who swept the domestic titles last season, despite the club spending nearly £500 million on summer signings.
Despite Salah's dramatic decline in form in particular, Slot insisted that the Egyptian star's exclusion from the starting lineup was purely a tactical decision, and not for any "inappropriate" reason.
Slot told Sky Sports: "We have more players on the bench besides Salah, but I understand why you're asking about him. We've played four games in 10 days. I have a lot of good players, as you know, so I picked a different lineup today. Sometimes Alex (Alexis Mac Allister) is on the bench, sometimes Florian (Wirtz). It's always about the players who start, and this is the lineup I chose today."
Slot made four changes to the lineup that faced PSV Eindhoven, most notably the return of Florian Wirtz after a short injury layoff and the inclusion of Joe Gomez at right-back.
However, Salah's exclusion from the starting eleven was the biggest headline following the recent barrage of criticism he has faced.
The Dutch manager's decision to leave Salah out coincides with a noticeable decline in the player's form this season compared to previous seasons.
The Egyptian star has only managed five goals and three assists in 18 appearances for the Reds across all competitions this season.
Liverpool will be looking to correct their course and appease their angry fans after a series of negative results when they face West Ham later today, Sunday, in the 13th round of the English Premier League.
