Salah Faces Criticism as Liverpool Star's Form Deteriorates

Mohamed Salah, Liverpool's acclaimed "Egyptian King", has seen his performance decline recently with growing concerns over his defensive contribution.

The forward underperformed during Saturday's 2-1 loss to Chelsea, missing key opportunities and neglecting defensive responsibilities.

Salah has failed to score in five of Liverpool's seven Premier League fixtures this term, coinciding with the team's struggles.

This defeat marked Liverpool's third loss within eight days, enabling Arsenal to claim top spot in the league table.

Across all competitions this season, he has managed only three goals and three assists in nine matches.

More concerning than his modest statistics was his disengagement during Chelsea's attacking phases.

Without defensive support from the forward, right-back Conor Bradley received a yellow card and was substituted at half-time while attempting to contain Chelsea's pressure.

Chelsea's decisive stoppage-time goal originated from Salah's flank, with Marc Cucurella advancing unchallenged to set up Estevao Willian's strike.

Cucurella confirmed Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca had instructed the team to target areas left exposed by Salah.

"We recognised Salah's focus on counter-attacks so we trained to exploit these spaces, as the manager anticipated," he stated.

Salah's sluggish performance reflects a sustained drop in form since the latter part of last season.

He previously scored 29 goals in 38 league games last term, securing the Golden Boot as Liverpool claimed their record-equalling 20th English title.

His influence has declined significantly following a two-goal performance against Southampton in March.

Salah Must Provide More Support

He has only scored twice in his most recent 11 matches across all competitions, during which Liverpool were eliminated from the Champions League by Paris Saint-Germain.

After the title victory, Salah revealed he persuaded manager Arne Slot to prioritise his attacking role over defensive duties.

"I assured him I would deliver offensively if relieved of defensive responsibilities, and I did," he explained.

However, this approach is now proving problematic as opponents capitalise on resulting defensive vulnerabilities.

Wayne Rooney, former Manchester United and England player, has added his voice to criticism of Salah's work rate.

"His defensive commitment has long been questionable, but during the Chelsea match he simply watched while the full-back was overwhelmed," he commented on his BBC show.

"Teams tolerate this when a player is scoring, but his effort has been questionable recently.

"The dressing room leaders should be urging him to contribute more. He has appeared unsettled of late," he added.

Former Liverpool midfielder Danny Murphy supports Rooney's view.

"Salah's minimal defensive contribution is increasingly problematic for Liverpool, particularly against stronger opposition," he noted.

Slot must resolve this issue for Liverpool to recover from their current difficulties.

Notably, he substituted Salah after 60 minutes during last week's Champions League loss at Galatasaray, acknowledging this may have affected his sharpness against Chelsea.

"It's intriguing whether his freshness from not playing earlier caused his creativity or whether his missed chances stemmed from reduced match fitness. We cannot determine this," the Dutch manager stated.

Currently, Slot is advocating patience while working to restore Salah's peak form.

"Not every opportunity he receives results in a goal," Slot explained. "We sometimes expect it to, given his past achievements, but he remains human."