The Unwanted Record Mohamed Salah Set With Liverpool
Mohamed Salah returned to Anfield in search of glory, only to be haunted by the ghosts of 2012. By matching Dirk Kuyt's forgettable run, the Egyptian confirms that his presence is no longer a guarantee of victory in a season that is falling apart for Liverpool
What was supposed to be the definitive boost for Arne Slot’s side to get their Premier League campaign back on track has instead turned into a statistical nightmare. Upon returning to the starting XI after international duty, Salah was unable to prevent the Reds from falling to a 3-2 defeat against Bournemouth.
This setback lands Salah in the history books for all the wrong reasons: the forward has suffered defeat in seven of his last eight league starts. For a player who symbolized the club's recent era of success, seeing his presence no longer guarantee points is an alarming symptom of Liverpool's decline, as they have already fallen out of the Champions League spots and said goodbye to defending their title.
Echoes of 2012: The ghost of Dirk Kuyt
The last time an Anfield icon endured such a dismal run was in 2012, under the management of Kenny Dalglish. Salah has matched the record of Dirk Kuyt—the Dutch 'workhorse' and cult hero of the Kop—who also lost seven of his last eight starts between February and May of that year.
While in Kuyt's case that period marked the end of his time on Merseyside, with the team finishing in eighth place, the great concern at Anfield today is whether this statistic is merely a slump or the beginning of the end for their current star's era.
Fractured relationship and internal crisis
This record comes at the worst possible time, with the dressing room atmosphere at a breaking point. Salah's return to the team was intended to be a truce following his explosive public fallout with Arne Slot in December.
Before departing for the Africa Cup of Nations, Salah sparked controversy by declaring he had 'no relationship' with the Dutch manager after being benched for three consecutive matches, accusing the club of using him as a 'scapegoat' for their poor results. Although the Champions League victory over Marseille briefly calmed the waters, this latest setback against Bournemouth reopens old wounds: Liverpool has won just 5 of their last 18 Premier League matches—a disastrous sequence that has seen their season completely fall apart.
