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Mohamed Salah marked his return to Liverpool action by setting up a goal in Saturday’s 2-0 Premier League victory over Brighton at Anfield, following a week dominated by controversy and speculation surrounding his future at the club.
The Egyptian forward, who had been under intense scrutiny after publicly criticising Liverpool and manager Arne Slot, was introduced from the bench in the 26th minute to a rousing reception from the home crowd. He replaced defender Joe Gomez, who was forced off through injury, with Liverpool already ahead after Hugo Ekitike had scored inside the opening minute.
Liverpool’s early lead came after just 46 seconds, when Ekitike capitalised on a swift move to fire past Brighton goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen. Despite Brighton creating several promising openings in the first half, they failed to take their chances, and the hosts made them pay after the interval.
The decisive moment arrived on the hour mark when Salah delivered a pinpoint corner that Ekitike rose to head home for his second goal of the match, effectively sealing the points. The assist took Salah’s total Premier League goal involvements for Liverpool to 277, made up of 188 goals and 89 assists, setting a new club record and surpassing Wayne Rooney’s tally at Manchester United.
Ekitike was quick to praise his teammate after the match, describing Salah as a model professional and a club legend, adding that sharing the pitch with him was a privilege and a reminder of why fans love the game.
The performance represented a sharp shift in tone from the previous weekend, when Salah publicly accused Liverpool of scapegoating him after he was left on the bench for a third consecutive match in a dramatic 3-3 draw at Leeds. He also claimed he had no relationship with Slot, comments that fuelled uncertainty over his role at the club.
Salah was subsequently omitted from Liverpool’s Champions League trip to Inter Milan, which they won 1-0, further intensifying debate ahead of the Brighton fixture. Slot had confirmed before the game that he intended to speak privately with the player, while speculation mounted over whether Salah would start or feature at all.
Brighton threatened intermittently, with Diego Gomez and Brajan Gruda both going close, as sections of the Anfield crowd repeatedly sang Salah’s name. The winger himself nearly added a goal late on but blazed over the bar after being set up by Federico Chiesa in stoppage time.
At full-time, Salah was warmly embraced by his teammates and applauded by supporters, as Liverpool recorded their first home win since early November. The result lifts the defending champions to sixth place in the table and eases some of the pressure on Slot following a difficult run of results.
Salah will now leave Merseyside to join Egypt’s squad for the Africa Cup of Nations, with the duration of his absence dependent on how far his country progress in the tournament, which concludes on January 18 in Morocco.
Despite signing a new two-year contract in April, the 33-year-old has been heavily linked with a move to the Saudi Pro League and admitted last week that he did not know what the future held beyond AFCON. Salah, who ranks third on Liverpool’s all-time scoring list with 250 goals, has won two Premier League titles and a Champions League during his time at Anfield. After scoring 29 league goals last season, he has found the net just four times in the current campaign.
