The football never stops, and Liverpool are back in action on Saturday evening as they take on Brentford at the Gtech, desperate to end their three-match losing streak in the division.
Arne Slot knew the gravity of his side’s situation as the Reds travelled to Eintracht Frankfurt having lost four on the bounce, including their previous European tie against Galatasaray in Istanbul. The 5-1 scoreline offered a glimpse of the attacking success yet to come after a summer of sweeping changes.
To slip once again on domestic soil is unthinkable; defeat would leave Slot’s title defence in tatters.
And with that in mind, could keeping Mohamed Salah on the bench be the solution for the trip to the capital?
Why Slot could bench Salah again
For so long, Salah has been an unstoppable force in the final third for Liverpool. One of the deadliest goalscorers and most prolific creators in Premier League history, last year was his year as he made it a title-winning first term for Slot.
The 33-year-old, however, has toiled this season, scoring one penalty goal in the top flight since netting on the opening day. Moreover, the overall quality of his performances have left much to be desired.
We must also acknowledge the human element. The passing of Diogo Jota this summer will have had an indescribable effect on his Liverpool teammates, and Salah has bravely displayed outward emotion in the months since the summer.
The Egyptian King will score goals once again for his club; Slot has no doubt about that.
But keeping him benched for now might not be a bad thing. Liverpool produced their most fluent attacking performance against Die Roten, and Salah squandered a great chance late on when he could have played Florian Wirtz in for his first goal.
Goals
0.77
0.25
Assists
0.48
0.25
Shots taken
3.23
1.77
Shot-creating actions
4.51
2.65
Touches (att pen)
9.50
5.30
Pass completion (%)
70.6
69.0
Progressive passes
3.84
3.28
Progressive carries
4.14
3.16
Successful take-ons
1.55
0.13
Ball recoveries
2.70
3.16
Should Salah make his mark as a substitute once again, Slot may well opt to field the same formation as he did in Germany. However, rotation is important, and there’s someone waiting in the wings who would love to make their first Premier League start of the season.
Liverpool's Salah solution
On Wednesday evening, Slot fielded Wirtz in a roaming right-sided role. It bore dividends for the German, who racked up two assists and connected play and directed the flow of the attack. It was a promising performance from one of Europe’s most talented stars.
Energy. Liverpool took on their opponents, and Sofascore record that they won 61% of the ground battles during the second half. A large part of this was Federico Chiesa’s energy and enthusiasm, replacing the injured Alexander Isak at the interval and clocking 5.1km. Moreover, he created two chances.
The Italian was bleakly on the fringes last year, impeded by injuries and neglected by Slot. But now he is resurgent, playing an increasingly important role for the Merseysiders.
It was Chiesa whose goal sealed victory against Bournemouth in August, and the 27-year-old netted again during that defeat at Selhurst Park. He provided both assists in the Carabao Cup win over Southampton and another last week, when Manchester United won at Anfield.
With Isak a doubt for Saturday’s clash, Hugo Ekitike is primed to star as Liverpool’s sole striker. Thus, Chiesa could be placed down the right, running and creating and arcing inwards. He does, after all, have a natural reserve of energy, with Liverpool analyst Sajad Iqbal saying the Italian “presses like a monster”.
Brentford are a resilient and hard-working outfit, and though Salah has a match-winning moment in his locker, utilising Chiesa’s athleticism might be the order of the day. If the need for goals is great enough come the eleventh hour, a refreshed Salah’s introduction could prove the difference-maker.