Liverpool manager Arne Slot addressed the decision to bench star forward Mohamed Salah during the club's 2-0 win over West Ham on 30/11. Slot clarified that Salah remains a key part of his plans, attributing the decision to squad rotation amid a demanding schedule and specific tactical considerations. The victory at London Stadium ended Liverpool's three-match losing streak across all competitions.

"Salah has had a great career and will have a very good future at the club because he is a special player," Slot stated after the match. He explained the necessity of squad rotation: "When you have 4 games in 10 days, sometimes you have to make decisions about the squad. It's not easy when I have more than 11 good players."

The lineup for the West Ham match featured 4 changes from the mid-week Champions League loss to PSV. Salah's usual starting spot was taken by Florian Wirtz, while Joe Gomez started on the right flank. This marked a rare occasion for Salah, who had consistently started every English Premier League game when fit since a 2-2 draw against West Ham in 4/2024, during Jurgen Klopp's time as manager.

Salah on the bench during the match against West Ham at London Stadium, England, on 30/11. Photo: Reuters

Beyond managing player workload, Slot also highlighted tactical reasons for Salah's benching. "The way West Ham set up with one full-back always pushing high and a winger tucking inside, I thought this approach would help the team," Slot explained. This implied a concern regarding Salah's defensive contribution against West Ham's specific formation.

Goals from Alexander Isak and Cody Gakpo secured the 2-0 win for Liverpool, halting a run where the Merseyside team had conceded 10 goals over three consecutive defeats. Slot expressed satisfaction with two key aspects of the victory at London Stadium: preventing goals from set-pieces and establishing an early lead.

"Compared to the previous match, there were some similarities and differences. Similar in that we squandered chances, but the good thing is, for the first time in many games, we didn't let the opponent score from their first opportunity," Slot remarked at the press conference. "It's great not to concede from a set-piece and to take the lead. Those are crucial things if you want to win a match."

The recent victory also concluded Liverpool's two-month winless streak in away English Premier League matches. Previously, Slot's side struggled to earn points when opponents scored first. "It's a huge relief, especially when victory comes after losing too many games," Slot added. "In this match, we didn't face many dangerous situations, and we created many scoring chances ourselves. We might not have controlled the game as well if we had gone down 1-0 after the first 5 minutes. The situation would have been very different then; we would have been more reactive. We are moving in the right direction: winning and not conceding."

The three points against West Ham propelled Liverpool to 8th in the English Premier League standings. The defending champions are set to play round 14 next mid-week, hosting Sunderland in the early hours of 4/12, Hanoi time.

Vy Anh