Slot says one player showed exactly what the team needed | OneFootball

Liverpool’s FA Cup win over Brighton & Hove Albion saw Arne Slot praise Mo Salah’s overall contribution after the final whistle at Anfield, with the head coach focusing as much on the winger’s work-rate as his goal and assist.

Curtis Jones opened the scoring shortly before half-time, Dominik Szoboszlai doubled the lead after the break and Salah added a penalty to secure a 3-0 victory which sends us into the fifth round.

The Egyptian forward delivered one of his most complete displays of the season and Slot was keen to underline why.

Speaking in his post-match press conference via Liverpoolfc.com, the Dutchman said: “It’s very nice to have him on the scoresheet again and him having an assist.

“But I think what I like the most at the moment, that he’s scoring goals is something you can almost expect, but he also helps the team a lot defensively.

“That is something very positive – what the team also needs.”

Salah performance vs Brighton shows growing Liverpool intensity

Slot linked the display to a wider improvement in our team rhythm after a difficult early campaign period.

The Liverpool manager added: “More and more players are now capable of playing at this intensity level every three days. That is where we struggled a lot in the beginning of the season.”

That context matters because Salah’s contribution was not just attacking quality but physical output.

As per Sofascore, the Egyptian recorded an 8.6 match rating, scored once, provided an assist, created four chances and won a penalty while also completing 27 of 32 passes and winning six ground duels.

His involvement in Szoboszlai’s goal was particularly important, producing a controlled first touch to tee up the Hungarian midfielder after a diagonal pass, a moment that underlined the technical level Slot has been asking for.

After the game, Salah himself spoke about Szoboszlai’s importance and described the Hungarian as one of the best players in the world, which reflects how our attacking players are increasingly functioning as a unit rather than individuals.

Arne Slot sees positive signs for Liverpool going forward

Image via @LFC on X

Slot believes recent performances show the squad is adapting physically and tactically to his demands.

He continued: “Now we’re able to do so, we see more and more the quality we have. That’s why I’ve said so many times already that the future looks really bright for this club with these players.”

Earlier in the season there had been discussion around Salah’s numbers compared with previous campaigns, with seven goals and eight assists in 27 appearances – he is respectable but not at his usual elite level.

However, his recent return of two goals and four assists in six matches suggests the forward’s output is rising again as the team stabilises.

Liverpool’s right-side threat also influenced the match tempo, with Brighton repeatedly forced backwards whenever Salah carried the ball, while he also tracked runners and pressed in defensive phases – a part of his game Slot clearly values.

The manager’s comments therefore were less about the penalty and more about the complete performance, signalling that for us the winger’s all-round impact may now be just as important as his finishing.

With back-to-back clean sheets and two consecutive victories following the Sunderland win, Slot’s side now appears to be building momentum at a key stage of the season.

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