Liverpool in Free Fall as Mohamed Salah Takes the Heat

Liverpool is experiencing one of its worst periods in recent years, having lost three consecutive matches, including defeats to Crystal Palace, Chelsea, and Galatasaray in the Champions League, which has resulted in them surrendering the Premier League lead to Arsenal. This negative run is the team's first since the Jürgen Klopp era over two and a half years ago, raising significant concerns at Anfield.

Mohamed Salah's performance has notably declined, as he has only managed three goals and three assists in ten matches totaling 838 minutes, a sharp drop from his previous season's form where he had six goals and five assists at the same stage. According to Opta statistics, his goals-per-90-minute average has decreased from 0.77 to 0.29, his expected goals (xG) from 0.68 to 0.28, and his attacking involvement has plummeted with shots per game falling from 3.46 to 1.72 and touches inside the box from 10.5 to 5.6 per match.

Beyond Salah's struggles, Liverpool's overall team structure has deteriorated, despite starting the season with five consecutive wins. The team has been conceding late goals in matches, such as against Crystal Palace and Chelsea, highlighting broader issues in their gameplay and consistency.

The €482 million investment in new signings has not yielded the expected results, with players like Florian Wirtz failing to make an impact and Alexander Isak scoring only once in six matches. The sole positive has been Hugo Ekitike, who has contributed three goals so far this season.

As Liverpool heads into the international break, they aim to regroup, but face a challenging schedule ahead with seven matches in the next three weeks, including high-stakes games against Manchester United, Manchester City, Real Madrid, and a Carabao Cup fixture against Crystal Palace.