Mo Salah broke unwanted record in Liverpool’s win against Nottingham Forest | OneFootball

Salah Drought Raises Questions: Numbers Paint Stark Picture

There are days when a striker looks like a poet with a football at his feet, and there are days when even poetry deserts him. For Mohamed Salah at the City Ground, it was very much the latter. Liverpool won, thanks to Alexis Mac Allister’s late intervention, but their Egyptian talisman walked away with a new statistic he would rather forget.

As reported by Rousing The Kop, Salah “blanked against Nottingham Forest” and has now gone nine Premier League games without a goal, the longest drought of his Liverpool career. That number hangs in the air like damp washing. Nine matches. Not nine minutes. Not nine shots off target. Nine games.

For a man who once scored with the regularity of a metronome, this is unfamiliar territory. Since arriving at Liverpool in 2017, Salah has been more than prolific; he has been relentless. There were seasons when defenders looked defeated before kick-off. Yet football, like time, moves only forward.

This is not merely about one match against Nottingham Forest, or one missed chance. It is about rhythm. Salah’s has faltered.

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Age And Expectation Collide

Liverpool supporters have been spoiled by Salah’s brilliance. Goals against Manchester City, hat-tricks against Manchester United, Champions League heroics. Now, at 34, he finds himself fighting something more subtle than an opposition back line: decline.

Rousing The Kop put it bluntly, noting that “the Liverpool legend is 34 — it’s more likely that this is a natural regression than a dip in form.” Those words sting, but football has always been unforgiving to ageing forwards. Even Kenny Dalglish stepped aside. Even Ian Rush had quieter spells. Greatness does not grant immunity from time.

Liverpool manager Arne Slot, who took charge in June 2024 after his title-winning exploits in the Netherlands, has seen his side grind out results with late drama this season. Yet even amid victories, the Salah question lingers. Slot’s system demands pressing, pace and decision-making under pressure. When any part of that falters, the whole machine creaks.

Against Nottingham Forest, Liverpool were fortunate. They did not sparkle. They endured. Mac Allister delivered. Salah did not.

Slot’s Tactical Puzzle

Slot faces a delicate balancing act. Liverpool still rely on Salah’s gravity, his ability to draw defenders and create space for runners like Hugo Ekitike or Alexander Isak. Even when he is not scoring, he is influencing.

But influence without end product eventually becomes a debate. Do Liverpool persist, trusting class to resurface? Or do they rotate, perhaps offering more minutes to emerging options like Rio Ngumoha, whose cameo sparked conversation among supporters?

Forest, managed by Vítor Pereira since December 2024, deserve credit. They were organised, compact, and stubborn. They forced Liverpool wide and denied Salah the inside channels he relishes. This is not unusual anymore. Opponents have studied him for years. They know the script.

Yet Salah has rewritten scripts before. One flick of the left foot, one diagonal run, and doubt vanishes.

Liverpool Future Beyond Drought

Football memory is short. A goal next week and talk of drought becomes talk of resurgence. Still, Liverpool must prepare for every possibility. Rousing The Kop even suggested “Salah is in talks with Al-Ittihad, and a summer transfer shouldn’t be ruled out.” That may be speculation, but it reflects reality. No dynasty lasts forever.

What matters now is response. Liverpool remain in the hunt across competitions. Slot’s side continue to find late winners. Virgil van Dijk still commands. Mac Allister still glides. The structure remains.

And Salah? He remains Salah. Even diminished, he is dangerous. Even silent, he is watched. Great forwards do not fade quietly; they rage against the light.

Liverpool fans know this. They have seen droughts before. They have seen comebacks too. Whether Salah writes another chapter will shape this season’s story.

For now, Liverpool move on from Nottingham Forest with three points, a sigh of relief, and one unanswered question echoing around Anfield.

When will Salah score again?