Liverpool’s Arne Slot says ‘no issue to resolve’ with Mohamed Salah after outburst

LIVERPOOL – Arne Slot said there was “no issue to resolve” after bringing Mohamed Salah on as a substitute in Liverpool’s 2-0 win over Brighton & Hove Albion on Dec 13 – a week after the

forward’s explosive comments

about the club.

Hugo Ekitike

scored at Anfield after 46 seconds

and Salah, introduced in the 26th minute, set up the Frenchman for a second goal with half an hour to go.

The Egyptian star accused Liverpool of throwing him “under the bus” after he was left on the bench for last week’s

3-3 draw at Leeds United

– the third match in a row that he did not start.

He also said that he had no relationship with Dutch manager Slot when he spoke to reporters after the match at Elland Road.

He was omitted from the midweek Champions League trip to Inter Milan, which Liverpool won 1-0, and he was the subject of intense scrutiny in the build-up to the latest game.

Slot said at a Dec 12 pre-match press conference that he would speak to the forward later in the day, adding: “I have no reasons (for) not wanting him to stay.”

Speaking after the win against Brighton, Slot said that there was “no issue to resolve” with Salah, whose corner was headed home by Ekitike in the 60th minute.

“For me, he’s now the same as any other player,” he said. “You talk to your players if you’re happy or unhappy with things, but there’s nothing for me to talk about after what happened against Leeds, after the game.”

Slot confirmed that Salah was left out of the squad for the fixture in Italy due to his interview.

“Every manager makes different decisions... but he wasn’t involved in the game against (Inter) Milan and I spoke to him yesterday,” he said. “I think, as I usually never say anything about (what) we talk about, I’m not going to make an exception now, but I think actions speak louder than what has been said.

“He was in the squad again and when I had to make my first substitutions, I brought him in. And he performed as I think every fan, including me, would like him to perform today.”

Salah, 33, who signed a new two-year contract at Liverpool in April, will now depart for the Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon).

The length of his absence depends on how far Egypt go in the competition in Morocco, with the final on Jan 18.

The forward, who has been linked with a move to the wealthy Saudi Pro League, had invited his family to the Brighton game as speculation swirled over his future.

Slot laughed off a question about whether the match could have been Salah’s last for the club.

“He wasn’t the only player who walked around the pitch thanking the fans, because the fans deserved a ‘thank you’ from us,” he said.

The Dutchman added: “Mo is going to go to the Afcon now, I hope he’s going to do very well, and in the meantime we have to play here without him, with not that many players available at the moment.”

Elsewhere, Enzo Maresca said he had suffered his “worst 48 hours” since joining Chelsea after a 2-0 win over Everton on Dec 13, as he lamented a lack of support.

Victory took the London club up to fourth provisionally and ended a run of four winless games in all competitions, with Cole Palmer scoring on his first home start since August. Malo Gusto added the second just before half-time.

Yet Chelsea boss Maresca, who in his debut 2024-25 season in charge guided the Blues to both the Europa Conference League and Club World Cup titles, was far from happy, although he stressed he was not criticising the London club’s fans.

“The last 48 hours has been the worst since I joined the club because many people didn’t support me and the team,” he said.

Meanwhile, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta let rip at his players following their

2-1 home win over bottom side Wolverhampton Wanderers

, saying their “horrible defensive habits” made the margin of victory narrower than it should have been.

Arsenal took the lead with 20 minutes left via an own goal from Wolves goalkeeper Sam Johnstone, but were given a massive scare when the visitors equalised through Tolu Arokodare in the 90th minute.

Their blushes were spared, however, when Yerson Mosquera headed the ball into his own net in the 94th minute to ensure victory for the league leaders.

“It was a relief (to win), but a very clear understanding that the margin should have been bigger,” an irate Arteta told reporters.

“After not being precise enough in the first half with the amount of situations that we generated inside the opposition box, and we didn’t pick the right colour of shirt on so many occasions, we had an overload to do that. We had to improve in the second, I think we did it.

“We generated more chances, scored a goal, but after we had a period of two or three minutes in deep, totally passive, with horrible defensive habits, that is nowhere near the level that is required against a team that hasn’t had a single shot.

“The first time that they had the opportunity to do it, they scored the goal.” AFP, REUTERS