“He’s nowhere near his best” – Gary Neville criticises Liverpool star’s recent performances | OneFootball

Mohamed Salah’s Form Under Scrutiny as Gary Neville Questions Liverpool Star

Gary Neville believes Mohamed Salah is enduring a sustained downturn in performance levels at Liverpool. Speaking after the Reds’ defeat to Manchester City, the former Manchester United defender delivered a candid assessment of the Egyptian’s recent displays.

On his podcast, Neville said: “Salah’s not showing his best, is he? He’s nowhere near his best. He’s been so consistent for so long and there was always going to be a prolonged dip. This is a prolonged dip.

“There were times out there you didn’t recognise him, but he did put in a beautiful ball for one of the chances.”

For a player who has set relentless standards at Anfield, the current run has drawn greater attention. Mohamed Salah has now gone seven successive Premier League matches without a goal, a sequence that stands out given his historic reliability in front of goal for Liverpool.

Numbers Behind Liverpool Forward’s Dip

By Salah’s own lofty benchmarks, the 2025/26 campaign has delivered modest returns. He has six goals so far this season and, barring a late surge, he is on course for his lowest tally in a single Liverpool season. Across previous years he never finished with fewer than 23.

The recent stretch has been particularly stark. He has scored once in his last 11 appearances for Liverpool and has not found the net in the league since 1 November. These figures carry extra weight when set against last season’s 29 top flight goals, a haul that underlined his enduring elite status.

Sunday’s meeting with Manchester City summed up the frustration. Salah registered five shots without testing the goalkeeper and none of his five crosses located a team mate. 

Photo: IMAGO

Creative Impact Still Present

Even amid the dip, Mohamed Salah continues to influence matches in other ways. Against City he produced a sublime delivery into Hugo Ekitike, who was unmarked in front of goal and headed wide. The reaction from Salah, collapsing to the turf in disbelief, captured both the quality of the chance and the sense that margins are currently working against him.

Had that opportunity been converted, it would have marked a fourth consecutive Premier League fixture in which Salah registered an assist. His chance creation and movement still draw defensive attention, opening spaces for Liverpool’s forwards to exploit.

Earlier in the season, his headline moment arrived after the 3-3 draw at Leeds, when an explosive interview followed a run of matches in which he did not start. That episode has since cooled, allowing focus to return to performances on the pitch.