Arne Slot Defends Mohamed Salah with Brutal Put-Down of Liverpool Attackers Hugo Ekitike and Cody Gakpo

Arne Slot Defends Mohamed Salah as Liverpool Boss Points to Hugo Ekitike and Cody Gakpo in Response to Critics

At Anfield, standards are never low. They don’t dip gently. They don’t wobble quietly. They are either met — or they are dissected.

So when Mohamed Salah goes a handful of Premier League games without scoring, the noise grows quickly. It doesn’t matter how many records he has broken, how many trophies he has lifted, or how many seasons he has carried the attacking burden. The modern conversation is ruthless and immediate.

But this week, Arne Slot made it clear he is not interested in scapegoats.

In fact, the Liverpool boss delivered a pointed reminder that if fingers are being directed at Salah, they had better be pointing elsewhere too — specifically at Hugo Ekitike and Cody Gakpo.

It wasn’t aggressive. It wasn’t theatrical. But it was unmistakably firm.

When Did Mohamed Salah Last Score a Premier League Goal?

Mohamed Salah Liverpool 2025-26

The stat has done the rounds often enough to gather weight: Salah has not scored in the Premier League since November 1.

For most forwards, that would be a quiet dip in form. For Salah, it becomes a storyline.

Last season, he struck 34 goals in all competitions, powering Liverpool to Premier League title glory while collecting both the Golden Boot and PFA Player of the Year honours. He followed that campaign by committing his future to the club with a two-year contract extension through to 2027 — a statement of loyalty that cemented his status as a modern Anfield icon.

But 2025-26 has been different.

Liverpool’s form has fluctuated. A lavish summer spending spree raised expectations to dizzying heights, yet consistency has proved elusive. The Reds sit sixth in the table, still in contention but far from dominant. In that context, every missed chance carries extra scrutiny.

Salah has felt it. There was even an emotional outburst from the Egyptian in December as frustration bubbled over. The burden of being Liverpool’s talisman for nearly a decade doesn’t lighten with age — it intensifies.

Arne Slot Defends Mohamed Salah from Critics

Slot, however, sees perspective where others see panic.

“He set his own standards,” the Dutchman explained. “They are so, so, so high that the moment he doesn’t score for a few games, people are surprised. That is the biggest compliment.”

It was a reminder disguised as reassurance.

Slot pointed out that just three matches ago, Salah delivered a goal and an assist against Brighton in domestic competition. He also found the net in the FA Cup against Premier League opposition. The narrative of total drought, Slot suggested, depends heavily on which data you choose to isolate.

“You can say it’s no goal in nine Premier League games,” he admitted. “But that is the standard he set.”

And then came the line that subtly shifted the spotlight.

“He is not our only attacker who doesn’t score as much as he was used to. Hugo and Cody haven’t either. It’s a team thing.”

Not a rant. Not a rebuke. Just a clear redistribution of responsibility.

Hugo Ekitike and Cody Gakpo Also Short on Goals

It’s difficult to argue with the numbers.

Gakpo has gone seven matches without finding the net. Ekitike, signed for £82 million in the summer of 2025, has failed to score in his last four outings. For players occupying central attacking roles, those are dry spells that would normally attract attention.

Yet the microscope tends to linger longest on Salah.

Perhaps that’s inevitable. When you’ve been the focal point for nine seasons, you inherit the weight of expectation permanently.

Ekitike’s overall numbers — 15 goals in his debut campaign so far — are respectable. There have been flashes of sharp movement, clever interplay and confidence in tight spaces. But he remains a developing forward, still refining aspects of his game.

Slot even addressed one of those areas directly: aerial presence.

Standing at six-foot-three, Ekitike should, in theory, dominate in the air. In practice, that dominance hasn’t fully materialised. Slot referenced how training methods have evolved since his own playing days, joking that modern players no longer practice heading with balls suspended from ropes. Still, he acknowledged it’s a component Ekitike is actively working to improve.

“Being 22 or 23, it’s normal there are parts of your game you can improve,” Slot said.

The message was clear: development takes time. Perfection is not immediate.

A Collective Responsibility in Liverpool’s Attack

Slot’s broader point extends beyond individual goal tallies.

Liverpool have not suddenly become blunt. They scored six against Qarabag in Europe and four against Newcastle domestically. The team is capable of explosive output.

But rhythm has been inconsistent.

At times, the press has looked slightly disjointed. The final ball has lacked precision. Movement in the box hasn’t always synced with delivery. These are marginal details — but at the top level, marginal details define outcomes.

Slot has also leaned into defensive stability as compensation. Clean sheets reduce the necessity for relentless attacking fireworks. If Liverpool concede fewer, they don’t need Salah scoring every week to win.

It’s a pragmatic balance rather than a philosophical shift.

The Weight of Being Mohamed Salah

There is something uniquely demanding about being Salah at Liverpool.

He isn’t just a forward. He is the symbol of an era. The scorer of decisive goals in Champions League finals. The winger who redefined expectations of output from wide positions. The figure whose name echoes around Anfield before a ball is kicked.

So when he experiences a dry run, even a brief one, the silence feels amplified.

But history suggests caution before overreaction.

Across nine seasons on Merseyside, Salah has endured similar stretches — three games here, five games there — only to respond with a burst of scoring that renders the conversation irrelevant. Slot knows this pattern. He has already lived through smaller dips during his tenure.

“He always scores again,” the manager said simply.

Sometimes, that is the most accurate analysis.

Liverpool v Leeds United – Premier League

West Ham Next as Liverpool Seek Spark

Liverpool’s immediate focus shifts to a home fixture against West Ham. With a Champions League last-16 tie against Galatasaray also on the horizon, momentum matters.

Sixth place in the Premier League is not catastrophic, but it isn’t comfortable either. The margins for qualification — both domestic and European — are tightening.

A confident Salah changes the dynamic of every opponent’s defensive plan. A firing Ekitike stretches lines vertically. A productive Gakpo adds unpredictability from the flank.

Slot understands that criticism can either fracture a dressing room or unite it. By spreading accountability and publicly backing his talisman, he appears to be choosing unity.

Perspective Over Panic

Football thrives on immediacy. Social media accelerates narratives. A nine-game league drought becomes a crisis. A single misfired chance becomes a symbol of decline.

But context matters.

Salah remains physically sharp, tactically intelligent and psychologically resilient. Ekitike is still adjusting to the demands of leading the line at a club of Liverpool’s stature. Gakpo continues to contribute beyond pure goal metrics with pressing and link-up play.

Slot’s defence of Salah wasn’t merely protective — it was calculated. It reframed the discussion. It reminded observers that Liverpool’s attacking fortunes are interconnected.

If goals are scarce, solutions are collective.

The Inevitable Response?

History suggests Salah will answer critics in the only way he knows how — by scoring.

Perhaps it will be a penalty. Perhaps a trademark curler from the edge of the box. Perhaps a scrappy tap-in that looks nothing like the highlight reels of old.

But when it arrives, the drought narrative will dissolve as quickly as it formed.

Until then, Slot’s stance is clear: Mohamed Salah is not the problem.

And if scrutiny must be applied, it should be shared evenly across Liverpool’s frontline — including Hugo Ekitike and Cody Gakpo.

At Anfield, standards are high.

But so, too, is belief.