Liverpool lost 3-0 to Manchester City at the Etihad in their last match before the international break, leaving them languishing in eighth place in the Premier League.
The Reds have currently lost seven of their last 10 games in all competitions and five of their last 11 in the Premier League, making their title defense so far disastrous.
Manager Arne Slott will be disappointed with his team’s poor form and will need to use the international break to come up with a new approach to the game in order to turn the season around.
One of the things the Dutch head coach needs to do is revive the form of reigning Premier League Player of the Year Mohamed Salah. That’s because the Premier League Player of the Year is not at his best.
How far have Mo Salah’s numbers fallen this season?
The Egyptian international scored 29 goals and provided 18 assists in the top flight last season, helping the Reds win the Premier League title and winning the Player of the Year award.
Unfortunately, the left-footed superstar hasn’t been at his best in the slot this season, although he has four goals and two assists in 11 league games.
Mo Salah (Premier League) | 24/25 | 25/26 |
|---|---|---|
Appearance | 38 | 11 |
the goal | 29 | 4 |
time per goal | 116 | 246 |
missed a big opportunity | twenty four | 6 |
conversion rate | twenty two% | 15% |
Key paths per game | 2.4 | 1.9 |
assist | 18 | 2 |
Statistics by Sofascore | ||
As you can see from the table above, Salah is scoring and assisting less frequently than last season and has a lower conversion rate, so the manager needs to find a way to get him back to his best form.
According to Sofascore, the winger had fewer than three shots on target and created three chances, none of which turned into big chances, but he wasn’t the only Liverpool forward to fail to get a shot on target.
Why Hugo Ekitike should take his place in the eleven on borrowed time
Hugo Ekitike, wearing No. 9, had a disappointing performance, but his starting spot could be on borrowed time after the break.
The France international was allowed to lead the Reds’ line against the Cityzens, but like Salah, he was as helpless at the top end of the pitch.
According to Sofascore, Ekitike did not take a single shot in the match and only made one significant pass, while losing 100% (2/2) of his duels. This shows how overwhelming his performance was.
During the 11 minutes he was on the pitch from the top post, the former Eintracht Frankfurt center forward did not take a shot or attempt a dribble, but created one chance with an “anonymous” performance.
According to Sofascore, Ekitike has failed to score in the Reds’ last five Premier League games and has scored just three goals in 10 games in the division.
Unlike Salah, the French striker hasn’t had a great career with Liverpool to earn him starting minutes if he continues to perform like he did against Manchester City, which is why he could feature on loan.
In addition, Alexander Isak will return from injury on the bench on Sunday, putting further pressure on Ekitike. The former Newcastle player scored 23 goals in the Premier League last season, according to Sofascore, and could be handed a starting spot unless the former Bundesliga star improves his performances.
