Salah Benched Amid Six-Game Drought in 5-1 Win

Liverpool beat Eintracht Frankfurt 5-1 in the Champions League, with Hugo Ekitike starting and goals from Ekitike, Virgil van Dijk, Ibrahima Konate, Cody Gakpo and Dominik Szoboszlai. Manager Arne Slot left Mohamed Salah on the bench amid growing concern over his form; Salah has reportedly gone six games without a goal and is performing below last season's levels. After coming on late, Salah chose to shoot rather than square a pass to a teammate for an easier chance, then removed references to Liverpool from his X/Instagram profiles, intensifying media and fan scrutiny. Pundits were split: Jamie Carragher defended Slot’s rotation given the congested schedule, while others warned that marginalising the club’s talisman could damage his confidence. Observers added that Liverpool are still adapting after major summer signings and the departure of Trent Alexander‑Arnold, and Salah’s role under Slot will be closely watched ahead of the next league game against Brentford.