Mo Salah is enduring a rare goal drought, having gone six games without scoring for Liverpool, and Arne Slot left him out of the starting lineup against Eintracht Frankfurt in Wednesday’s Champions League clash.
It’s been a strange few weeks for Mo Salah and Liverpool. The Egyptian King, who has carried this team for years, suddenly finds himself in unfamiliar territory — six games without a goal and even dropped from the starting XI.
For a player who has been nothing short of world-class since he joined, that’s hard to believe. But things have clearly changed around Anfield, and not just for Salah.
Arne Slot has been open about the struggles. He hinted that Salah’s recent form might be connected to something deeper — the absence of Trent Alexander-Arnold. When you think about it, it makes sense. The two had one of the best on-pitch partnerships in football.
For years, Trent’s passes down that right-hand side were the sparks that set Salah on fire. Now, with the full-back gone to Real Madrid, that link-up has vanished, and it’s starting to show in Liverpool’s attack.
Slot believes Salah is missing his long-time partner
Speaking during his press conference, Slot didn’t hide from the issue. “Maybe his whole Liverpool career he played with Trent,” he admitted. “So it could be that. But he’s been in promising positions often enough to score goals, maybe with Trent even more.”
That’s as honest as it gets from a manager. He’s clearly aware that Salah’s rhythm isn’t quite the same, and losing a player like Trent changes everything. The chemistry they built was special — instinctive, fast, and almost impossible to defend against.
Slot also pointed out that the club’s big summer changes are part of the problem too. New players, new patterns, new movements — all of that takes time. “If you have quite a few changes in the summer, you have to find new connections,” he said. “Mo is no exception to this.”
A rough patch that’s starting to show
Salah’s recent games have told the story. Big chances missed against Chelsea, frustration against Manchester United, and that quiet night against Frankfurt where he started on the bench. Even when he came on, you could see the desperation to end his drought, but nothing seemed to click.
It’s the first time in years Liverpool fans have seen him like this — out of rhythm, maybe even overthinking things a bit. His body language after being subbed against United said it all. He didn’t look happy, and honestly, who would be?
What made things even more tense was what happened online afterward. Fans noticed he had removed all mentions of Liverpool from his bios on Instagram and X, and changed his profile pictures too. It sent social media into a mini meltdown.
Some took it as a sign of frustration, others as just a reset moment. But one thing is sure — Salah still cares deeply about this club. You can see it every time he plays, even when the goals aren’t coming.
Now the hope is that he finds his spark again when Liverpool face Brentford on Saturday night. It’s a massive game — one that could finally end their winless league run and mayrpbe lift Salah’s mood again.ew
Because when Salah’s smiling, Liverpool are smiling too. And everyone knows that once he finds his rhythm, he usually doesn’t stop scoring.