Mohamed Salah is one of the Liverpool players under fire from the English media following the defeat to Crystal Palace. The Egyptian failed to score and is, according to former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher, far from his best form.
Liverpool was unexpectedly defeated at Anfield by Crystal Palace on Sunday, handing the initiative in the Premier League race to Manchester City.
Eberechi Eze netted the game's only goal for Palace less than fifteen minutes into the match, increasing the gap between Liverpool and league-leading City to two points.
Liverpool's manager Jürgen Klopp expressed surprise at his team's lackluster performance. Despite the disappointment, Jamie Carragher and fellow former Liverpool player Jamie Redknapp noted that The Reds still managed to create a number of opportunities, although their finishing lacked precision.
Salah's Absence Noted
Carragher was particularly critical of Mohamed Salah, commenting, "It just feels like he's not present at Liverpool. And this has been going on for a few weeks now," during an interview with Sky Sports. Since returning to Liverpool in mid-March after an injury, Salah scored against Brighton & Hove Albion in a 2-1 victory and secured a 2-2 draw against Manchester United, but his form has been inconsistent.
Redknapp pointed out that the effects of the draw against United were still impacting Liverpool. "The cause of this defeat actually lies with the game against United. That's when the damage was done. They should have won 6-2 against Crystal Palace. Liverpool never really showed any conviction that they believed they would score," he said.
In terms of individual performances, Salah's lackluster display against Crystal Palace earned him a rating of 5 from the Daily Mail, which commented, "The sparkle is currently missing from him." Substitute Cody Gakpo also received a rating of 5, while Virgil van Dijk scored slightly better with a 6. The Liverpool Echo echoed these sentiments, rating Van Dijk a 5, the same as Salah. Van Dijk narrowly avoided a significant error shortly after Palace's goal, due to an unfortunate slip. Andy Robertson was pivotal in preventing a potential second goal, clearing the ball just before the goal line.
City's Edge in the Title Race
Adding to Liverpool's challenges, Paul Merson, a former Arsenal player and Sky Sports analyst, voiced concerns over Liverpool's ability to compete with City and Arsenal for the title, citing poor finishing as a critical weakness. "The finishing was just so poor today. They don't have natural goal scorers like City. That's why City is at the top of the Premier League," he explained.
This loss for Liverpool highlights a growing concern about their ability to challenge for the title, particularly in the face of stiff competition from a well-equipped Manchester City and an ambitious Arsenal squad.
