‘Bite your lip!’ Liverpool legend blasts Mohamed Salah and reminds Egyptian ‘this is a team game’ after explosive Arne Slot criticism

‘Bite your lip!’ Salah criticised by Liverpool legend after explosive Slot remarks

Elland Road witnessed a six-goal spectacle on Saturday evening, but the headlines wandered far from the pitch. Instead, they centred around Mohamed Salah—Liverpool’s all-time Premier League top scorer—who left Yorkshire without a minute played and without hiding his frustration. And that frustration, voiced so openly, has now drawn a pointed response from Liverpool legend Michael Owen.

Salah, unused for a third consecutive league game, watched Liverpool draw 3-3 with Leeds from the bench, prompting an emotional post-match interview in which he suggested he had been “thrown under the bus.” For a player who has built an era almost single-handedly with decisive goals, relentless consistency and an aura of inevitability, these comments landed with shockwaves.

But Owen, speaking through his official X account, urged the Egyptian forward to show restraint—specifically, to “bite [his] lip.”

Salah benched again as Liverpool drop more points

Mohamed Salah, un temps donné partant de Liverpool, prolonge finalement son contrat avec les Reds

Arne Slot is not even half a season into life at Liverpool, yet already the debates are stacking. His side have been far from convincing, and Saturday’s outing in Yorkshire did little to reduce the noise.

Hugo Ekitike’s lightning-quick brace gave Liverpool an opening that should have paved a simple route to three points. Leeds, however, refused to fold. Dominic Calvert-Lewin forced a response, Anton Stach levelled matters, and even after Dominik Szoboszlai restored Liverpool’s lead late on, an 88th-minute strike from Ao Tanaka denied them.

The result leaves Liverpool’s fading title defence no closer to recovery. And while Slot made substitutions intended to tilt the match—introducing Alexis Mac Allister and Alexander Isak—he pointedly left Salah sitting.

Not warming up. Not preparing for an impact cameo. Simply watching.

For someone who has operated as the most reliable figure under both Jürgen Klopp and previously under pressure managers, the message felt unmistakable.

Or at least Salah thought so.

‘The club has thrown me under the bus’: Salah speaks out

The forward’s comments after full-time stunned supporters.

“I can’t believe it, I’m very, very disappointed. I have done so much for this club down the years and especially last season,” Salah began.

What followed was more candid than anything he has said during his Liverpool career.

“Now I’m sitting on the bench and I don’t know why. It seems like the club has thrown me under the bus. I think it is very clear that someone wanted me to get all of the blame.”

He spoke of promises made last summer, promises he believes have already been broken.

He insisted he loves the club, loves the city, and will “always do.” Yet there was a deeper undertone—a farewell-like weight.

Salah revealed he had told his family to travel to Anfield next weekend “to say goodbye before I go to AFCON”. He stressed uncertainty over whether he will even feature again before leaving for international duty.

The words did not sound like those of someone merely frustrated at benching. They sounded like someone considering whether the club’s relationship with him has quietly changed shape.

Whether Slot deliberately removed him from the spotlight, or whether injuries or tactical choices were at play, remains unclear. But Salah clearly senses an internal shift—and wanted the world to hear it.

‘Bite your lip!’: Michael Owen responds

No sooner had the quotes circulated than Michael Owen stepped in.

The former Liverpool striker—who knows something about difficult exits—responded with what felt part sympathy and part warning.

“Oh @mosalah I can imagine how you feel. You’ve carried this team for a long time and won everything there is to win,” he began.

Then came the pointed reminder:

“But this is a team game and you simply can’t publicly say what you’ve said. You’re going to AFCON in a week. Surely you bite your lip, enjoy representing your country and see how the land lies when you get back?”

The thrust of Owen’s argument is that timing matters.
Salah is days away from departing for the Africa Cup of Nations. Liverpool will be forced to operate without him regardless. Should the team recover while he is away, the narrative changes. Should they regress, the spotlight brightens.

By speaking now, Owen suggests, Salah risks accelerating division.

Some supporters praised Salah’s honesty. Others felt Owen’s criticism was fair—especially given Salah’s status inside the dressing room. Leaders rarely go public before private dialogue.

Slot, silence and the unanswered questions

The Liverpool boss, notably, declined to escalate the matter. Slot has been consistent since his arrival: low-emotion press conferences, controlled messaging, and zero friction in public spaces.

His response to Salah’s remarks was brief and diplomatic—neither dismissive nor apologetic. That silence leaves space for interpretation.

Is this tactical rotation?
Is this the beginning of life after Salah?
Is there internal disagreement about contract renewal, role or future planning?

The numbers complicate everything. Salah remains the team’s leading scorer. When fit, he is still their most dangerous attacking reference point. Liverpool do not possess a comparable profile—explosive pace, composure, playmaking efficiency, finishing power.

Replacing him is not simply about finding goals. It is about replacing a gravitational footballer.

Yet Slot has been bold in trimming traditions. Trent Alexander-Arnold moved differently on the pitch. Darwin Núñez’s role has been altered. The midfield has changed identity. Perhaps this is simply part of his long-term evolution.

Leeds United v Liverpool – Premier League

AFCON departure looms—and it may shape everything

Egypt’s preparations are underway. Their belief is clear. They arrive as one of the tournament favourites, with Salah as their central figure.

The Africa Cup of Nations opens on 21 December and runs until 18 January. Liverpool’s reality is blunt: if Egypt advance deep—particularly to the final—Salah could miss:

• Tottenham

• Wolves

• Leeds

• Fulham

• Arsenal

• FA Cup third round

• potentially Burnley

Six matches without their most influential forward could turn a wobble into a crisis—or give unexpected names room to thrive.

Slot’s assistants insist planning is already in motion. But planning is not presence. And presence is what Liverpool so often rely upon with Salah.

When the final whistle blows in Morocco, Salah returns. By then, the landscape may look entirely different.

A moment that could define a season—or disappear as noise

The most intriguing element? No one truly knows whether this moment is:

a genuine rupture,
a temporary emotional release,
or merely misinterpreted frustration.

Salah has rarely been confrontational. His career at Liverpool has been defined by professionalism. Even during contract disputes, his language stayed measured.

This time, however, he crossed that invisible line. He personalised the problem.

And once a player publicly claims they have been “thrown under the bus,” conversations move behind closed doors very quickly.

If Salah returns after AFCON, starts immediately, scores goals, nothing survives beyond a few archived headlines. Football is forgiving to match-winners.

If Liverpool thrive without him, questions intensify.
If Liverpool collapse, pressure swings toward Slot.

Either way, Saturday’s draw felt symbolic—not just because of the dropped points, but because of who was not on the pitch.

Mohamed Salah usually dictates Liverpool’s story.
For now, his absence is doing that instead.