Salah rejoins Liverpool squad amid Arsenals narrow late victory
Mohamed Salah contributed significantly to Liverpools crucial victory over Brighton on Saturday following a contentious interview that sparked doubts about his commitment to the team while Arsenal escaped a potential setback against Wolves.
The Egyptian attacker faced heavy criticism ahead of the Anfield encounter yet entered the pitch to enthusiastic applause during the opening period substituting for the sidelined defender Joe Gomez.
The hosts whose bid to retain the Premier League crown has faltered amid a dismal sequence of outcomes held a 1-0 advantage at that point courtesy of French striker Hugo Ekitikes strike mere seconds into the match.
Brighton missed several chances to equalise and Ekitike netted his brace with 30 minutes remaining powering in a header from Salahs corner kick.
The Egyptian ace now boasts 277 goal contributions for Liverpool across Premier League fixtures comprising 188 strikes and 89 assists establishing a fresh benchmark for any individual at one club surpassing Wayne Rooneys previous achievement with Manchester United.
The weekend brought a sharp shift in sentiment surrounding Salah who recently claimed Liverpool had unfairly criticised him after being overlooked for the starting lineup in the 3-3 stalemate versus Leeds.
This marked the third consecutive outing where he featured on the bench.
The 33 year old wide player further revealed a lack of rapport with head coach Arne Slot during his candid remarks and sat out the recent Champions League away fixture at Inter Milan which Liverpool clinched 1-0.
Post match Slot affirmed there were no lingering conflicts with Salah although questions persist regarding his extended tenure at the club.
"To me he stands equal to the rest of the squad now" the Dutch coach stated.
"You communicate with your squad members regarding satisfaction or concerns but post Leeds theres no need for further discussion."
He continued: "We conversed yesterday and as I typically keep private talks confidential I wont deviate here yet deeds outweigh words.
"He returned to the lineup and when the moment arrived for initial changes I introduced him. He delivered in the manner every supporter myself included would desire on this occasion."
Salah is set to head off for the Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco possibly sidelined for up to five weeks.
The 2-0 triumph Liverpools initial home success since November 4 propels Slots side to sixth position in the standings.
Nevertheless their championship challenge lies in tatters following a poor streak of only two triumphs in their prior 10 domestic encounters prior to Brightons arrival.
Arsenals dramatic finish
The Merseysiders trail frontrunners Arsenal by 10 points with the Gunners just about preserving their momentum against basement dwellers Wolves in the evenings closing fixture thanks to a pair of own goals securing a 2-1 outcome.
Arsenal toiled for 70 minutes until the ball deflected off Wolves custodian Sam Johnstone rebounding into his own goal.
Incredibly Wolves restored parity in the 90th minute yet as supporters mulled over a costly tie the visitors capitalised on another mishap as Bukayo Sakas delivery was unfortunately nodded into his nets by Wolves backline player Yerson Mosquera in the 94th minute.
Prior to that Cole Palmer whose campaign has been hampered by a persistent groin problem registered his maiden strike since September helping Chelsea to a 2-0 success over Everton reclaiming a spot in the elite four.
However following the encounter boss Enzo Maresca delivered surprising remarks describing the preceding 48 hours as his most challenging period since assuming the role in July 2024.
The Italian criticised unspecified individuals for lacking backing towards him and his charges although he clarified that supporters were not the target.
"The recent two days represent the toughest stretch since my arrival due to insufficient support for me and the group" he noted. "Broadly speaking."
When probed on whether he meant the clubs followers he replied: "I adore the supporters and remain delighted with them."
The day before he had observed that triumphs alone would silence online grumbles from fans and drew on his three decades in the sport stating: "I understand that without success complaints arise universally."
Fulham overcame struggling Burnley 3-2.