Sports
Liverpool Fans Give Mo Salah Verdict As He Makes PL History vs Brighton
After a week of torment for the Anfield faithful, Mohamed Salah was back strutting his stuff in a Liverpool strip after replacing Joe Gomez inside half an hour of their Premier League meeting with Brighton & Hove Albion. The reception he received, as expected, was raucous from the home fans – but how did the Egyptian forward perform in his first appearance since those comments?
Something of an unfamiliar feeling for him, three weeks of not being in Slot’s starting line-up was enough for Salah to hit out at the Dutchman following Liverpool’s 3-3 draw with Leeds United, with him claiming the club had ‘thrown him under the bus’. “I used to have a good relationship (with Slot). Now we don’t have any relationship and I don’t know why,” he said.
Without a doubt a legend in Anfield circles, 33-year-old Salah threw his time at the club into doubt with his incendiary remarks in the Elland Road mixed zone and there were questions over whether he would ever play in Liverpool colours again. That question, however, was answered on Saturday afternoon as he was subbed on, to the sound of applause, in the 25th minute.
Liverpool vs Brighton: PL Post Statement After Controversial Referee Decision
The Premier League have spoken out amid serious anger among Liverpool fans.
Recalled after being excluded from their Champions League squad to face Inter Milan in the week, Salah was initially named on the bench with Dominik Szoboszlai – who is, statistically, one of the best-performing players in the Premier League right now – in his place on the right flank. But he quickly got the chance to silence any doubters when his excellence was called upon.
An injury to Gomez meant that Slot was forced to rely on Salah earlier than many expected and Szoboszlai reverted to a role at right-back as the Egypt international assumed his typical position – on the right wing with Hugo Ekitike through the middle and Florian Wirtz on the opposite flank.
He may have missed a golden opportunity to mark his return to Anfield with a goal in added time, but there was still plenty to enjoy about the former Chelsea man’s performance.
|
Mohamed Salah Statistics vs Brighton |
|
|---|---|
|
Minutes |
64 |
|
Touches |
45 |
|
Touches in Opposition Box |
8 |
|
Goals/Assists |
0/1 |
|
Total Shots |
3 |
|
Accurate Passes |
27/32 (84%) |
|
Overall Rating |
8.3 |
Energetic as soon as he entered the fray, “Mo Salah, Mo Salah running down the wing” was belted out by the match-going home supporters as they welcomed back a club legend. His assist, albeit a rather simple one, just proved what he is able to provide Slot and his entourage when he’s picked. Ekitike met the Egyptian’s cross to nod home, but the delivery was well-placed, it must be said.
Said assist now means that Salah has the most goal contributions (277) for a single club in the history of the Premier League, but there was much else to like about his performance. He created five chances, took 46 touches of the ball – eight of which were inside Brighton’s 18-yard box – and his crossing was nothing short of pinpoint. Did he prove his worth? Definitely.
Salah has been at the heart of Liverpool’s success over the past eight years since he moved from AS Roma in the summer of 2017, establishing himself as one of world football’s best players in the process. The prospect of selling him in January would not only be a sore one for the Liverpool supporters to take but the wrong decision, too. He’s too key for Slot and his entourage.
Liverpool Supporters React to Mohamed Salah’s Return to Action Against Brighton
So… are fans back on the side of Salah, who is widely regarded as one of the greatest players in the storied history of Liverpool, or do they still think that parting ways with the seasoned winger is the best course of action? Many, taking to X (formerly Twitter) are of the belief that he has to stay. “There is no reason for Salah to leave right now. We can have a great season,” one wrote.
“Mo has been on a poor run but any plans by LFC to sell him would be completely foolish. Football is such a protected sport, no player can voice an opinion, Salah was entitled to his,” another added as a third commented: “Can we not sell Salah please? This team can win the Champions League with the addition of Guehi and Semenyo.”
“With Salah in place of Gomez, this seemed like the perfect starting 11. Salah was never THE problem. In fact since coming on he’s added energy Gomez, as a natural defender, didn’t/doesn’t have. Let’s see if this game changes the mentality of both Slot and Salah.”
“If Salah continues to play like this when he returns from AFCON, then he won’t need to worry about being dropped,” one said while another fan believes that selling Salah in the mid-season transfer window would be the wrong decision. “I don’t care what Hughes or Edwards think, there is 0 chance you can sell Mo Salah this January and get anything positive in return,” they wrote.
Mo Salah Could be ‘Immediately Blacklisted’ From Saudi Pro League Due to Unusual Rule
Mohamed Salah could leave Liverpool after a massive fallout with the club and Arne Slot – but he has to be careful.
“Salah is too good to go. HE MUST STAY,” another wrote as a final fan claimed that his cameo against Brighton proved exactly why selling him would be a poor decision. “This Salah performance is more than enough to prove his worth. He’s capable of evolving his game to suit his ageing self and no, he shouldn’t need to track back for us to be able to defend properly,” they wrote.
All statistics per FotMob – correct as of 13/12/2025
