Slot handed fresh Salah dilemma after substitution leads to tunnel incident

Liverpool’s commanding 5-1 win in Frankfurt was supposed to signal a strong comeback, but the post-match spotlight fell on Mo Salah’s reaction — raising new questions just days before the Brentford clash.

For the first time since joining in 2017, the Egyptian star was benched for consecutive Champions League fixtures. He entered in the 74th minute for Hugo Ekitike with the result already secure, yet his actions after the final whistle drew attention. As Mail Sport’s Lewis Steele reported on X:

“Mo Salah straight down the tunnel at FT. Loads and loads of positives to take from tonight for Liverpool but he looked in a strop.”

Salah’s brief appearance produced respectable stats — 0.42 expected goals (xG), three shots, two on target — but no goal to show for it. According to SofaScore, he missed two big chances and visibly showed frustration throughout.

His demeanor comes amid growing debate about his role, with even Jamie Carragher suggesting Salah is no longer a “guaranteed starter,” a comment that’s split opinions among fans.

A late incident where Salah chose to shoot instead of passing to Florian Wirtz, denying the German his first Liverpool goal, only fueled further scrutiny. Wirtz had already supplied two assists and looked back to his creative best, underlining the £116 million investment Liverpool made in him.

Head coach Arne Slot now faces the delicate task of balancing rotation, form, and player egos. While Salah’s reaction grabbed headlines, it shouldn’t detract from a brilliant team display featuring goals from Ekitike, Van Dijk, Konate, Gakpo, and Szoboszlai.

The result snapped a four-game losing run and proved that Liverpool can still dominate on the European stage. Aside from Jeremie Frimpong’s injury, it was close to a perfect evening — though Salah’s frustration may become the lasting talking point.

Attention now turns to Brentford, where all eyes will be on whether Salah regains his starting spot.