Slot Defends Salah Amid Liverpool's Four-Game Slump

Liverpool have lost four consecutive matches, including defeats to Crystal Palace, Chelsea and Manchester United, with defensive errors, set-piece vulnerability and an increase in crosses into the box emerging as bigger problems than the forwards' finishing. Mohamed Salah’s form has dipped — he has gone seven matches without a non‑penalty goal — prompting pundit Jamie Carragher to say he should not be an automatic starter in away games. Manager Arne Slot defended Salah, saying his positioning creates chances and that the team must find the right balance between wingers and full‑backs, while admitting Liverpool must “do better” at stopping crosses. Slot has shifted tactics to prioritise new summer signings such as £125m Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz and to judge Isak as the club’s focal striker, but the expensive forward line has so far failed to click. The run leaves Liverpool fourth in the league on 15 points from eight matches and intensifies scrutiny on both the defensive structure and Slot’s deployment of his costly attacking options.