Slot says no issues to resolve with Salah after controversy | OneFootball

Arne Slot stated that there was “no problem to solve” after Mohamed Salah returned in Liverpool's 2-0 victory over Brighton this Saturday — a week after the forward's harsh criticism of the club in a controversial interview.

Hugo Ekitike scored at Anfield after 46 seconds and Salah, who came off the bench still in the first half, assisted the Frenchman's second goal after the break.

Last week, Salah, 33, accused the then struggling Premier League champions of throwing him “under the bus” after being benched in the 3-3 draw against Leeds — the third consecutive game without starting. The Egyptian also declared having no relationship with coach Slot after the match at Elland Road.

He was omitted from the trip to face Inter Milan in the Champions League, which Liverpool won 1-0, and was under intense scrutiny before this Saturday's game.

Slot said in Friday's press conference that he would talk to the forward, adding: “I have no reason not to want him to stay.”

After the victory over Brighton, the Dutch coach reinforced: “There's nothing to resolve with Salah”, whose corner resulted in Ekitike's second goal at the 60th minute.

“For me, he is now like any other player. You talk when you're happy or not with something, but there's nothing to discuss after what happened against Leeds.”

Slot confirmed that the winger was left out of the game in Italy because of the interview but defended his stance: “The question is always: should he be left out once, twice, three, four times, four months, 12 years? Every coach makes different decisions… but he didn't play against Milan and I spoke with him yesterday.”

Actions Speak Louder

“As I never comment on what we discussed, I won't make an exception now, but I believe actions speak louder than words.”

“He returned to the squad and, when I needed to make the first substitution, I put him in. And he played as every fan would want him to play.”

Salah now has 277 goal involvements for Liverpool in the Premier League — 188 goals and 89 assists — a new record for a player at a single club in the competition, surpassing Wayne Rooney's mark for Manchester United.

Smiling, Salah was questioned by journalists after the match but declined: “Oh God, two weeks in a row? No.”

The Egyptian, who renewed his contract for two years in April, now heads to the African Cup of Nations (AFCON). The duration of his absence depends on how far Egypt progresses in the competition in Morocco, with the final on January 18.

The forward, linked to a possible transfer to the Saudi League, brought his family to the game against Brighton amid speculation about his future.

Slot laughed when asked if it could have been Salah's last match for the club: “He wasn't the only one to thank the fans on the pitch. They deserved it.”

And concluded: “Mo is going to AFCON now, I hope he does very well, and we will have to play without him, with few players available at the moment.”

Salah, the third-highest scorer in Liverpool's history with 250 goals, has won two Premier League titles and one Champions League with the club. Last season, he scored 29 goals and won the Golden Boot, but in this campaign, he has only four goals in the league.

This Saturday's victory was Liverpool's first at Anfield since November 4 and places Slot's team in sixth position, easing the pressure on the coach.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.