Arne Slot explains why Mohamed Salah is heading towards unwanted Liverpool landmark | OneFootball

Mohamed Salah's Liverpool season has been littered with impressive milestones, yet the team's prolific talisman is in danger of bringing up an unwanted landmark.

The durable Egyptian has failed to score or provide an assist in each of his last three appearances for Liverpool. Salah hasn't gone four consecutive games for the Reds without directly contributing to a single goal in more than four years.

During this run of blanks, Liverpool have been knocked out of the Champions League by Paris Saint-Germain and were convincingly defeated by Newcastle United in the Carabao Cup final. The Reds managed to squeak past Everton in Wednesday's Merseyside derby, but Salah was once again shunted onto the periphery.

Liverpool boss Arne Slot used the calibre of his side's recent opponents to explain Salah's drought. "Sometimes the fixture list is more difficult than at other periods," the Dutch boss reasoned.

"PSG are one of the best teams in Europe at the moment. Newcastle were all over us in the Carabao final and Everton were so difficult with ten people in their own 18-yard box all the time.

"I know Mo, he lives for goals. It would be weird if he was happy not scoring but probably his biggest quality is he can play a poor game and still score so his head is not all over the place.

"That is why he scores so many, because he wants it so much. Yes, there were probably periods this season he smiled a bit more but that's not just him, it's all the players."

The last time Salah endured a four-match stretch without a goal or an assist was back in spring 2021. Buckling under the strain of an injury crisis and without the roar of the Anfield crowd during COVID-19 lockdown restrictions, Salah drew a blank against Everton, Sheffield United, Chelsea and - coincidentally - Fulham, Liverpool's upcoming opponents this Sunday.