Why Mohamed Salah should be featured against Brighton this weekend
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If you had told any Liverpool supporter that, so early into the club’s title defense, Mo Salah and Arne Slot’s relationship would sour to the point where the Egyptian was disciplined and left out of a traveling Champions League squad, you would have been laughed at.After all, this duo achieved something few thought possible in 2024–25: Salah delivered his best season in a Liverpool shirt, and Slot became only the second manager of the Premier League era to bring a domestic title back to Anfield. Following a tough draw to Leeds United, Salah’s incendiary comments—saying he felt “thrown under the bus” and that he has “no relationship” with his manager—have created a sharp divide within the fanbase between those siding with the club’s third-highest scorer and those backing the coach who won the title in his first season in charge.As a result of those remarks, Salah, already left out of the Starting XI for Liverpool’s previous three league games, wasn’t even brought to Milan for a massive Champions League clash with Inter.
If Salah can even approach the form he showed last season, it would go a long way toward pushing the club back into the Champions League next year.In fact, while the team was traveling, Salah posted a photo to his social media accounts: a selfie of him working out in the training facility’s gym with the club’s logo clearly visible in the background. It hardly feels like an innocuous post; more likely than not, it’s Salah signaling that he’s getting straight back to work and refocusing his efforts on helping the team win.Who knows what conversations will take place behind closed doors this week, but the optimist in me wants to believe both the club and Salah are keen to give the club icon another chance to showcase his renewed focus against the Seagulls on Saturday.
Yes, he’s been far from his best this season, but if the recent headlines can serve as motivation, Salah may still perform at a high level—and his past numbers against Brighton and the Seagulls’ defensive record suggest he can get back on track.Among this season's Premier League clubs, Salah has only scored more career league goals against Man United, Tottenham, Bournemouth and West Ham than he has against Brighton (10), highlighting his clear knack for finding the net against Saturday’s opponents.Additionally, the Seagulls have shown middling defensive form this season, sitting 10th in the league for goals conceded (21), suggesting that any moment of individual brilliance from Salah could easily break the game open if the chance comes. If a fire has truly been lit under Salah and he’s ready to give his Liverpool career one last push before leaving for AFCON, this match feels like the perfect opportunity for the Egyptian to earn a starting spot.Liverpool FC v Brighton & Hove Albion FC - Premier League | John Powell/GettyImagesFinal verdictSalah has served the punishment handed to him, and with Slot confirming he believes the relationship can be repaired, I’m hopeful that both player and manager can let cooler heads prevail.Both the Egyptian and the Dutchman were crucial in delivering Liverpool domestic glory last season, and it would be a real shame to see this partnership disintegrate at the first hint of adversity they’ve faced together.With the chance to let tensions cool as Salah heads off to represent his national team for several weeks, I believe he should be welcomed back onto the pitch if his interactions with Slot this week prove constructive.Salah’s goal against Brighton at Anfield last season filled me with belief that the Reds could actually win the league.