Paul Merson has advised Arne Slot to start Mo Salah against Bournemouth on Saturday evening.
The Merseysiders are set to take on the Cherries at the Vitality Stadium after a confidence-restoring 3-0 win over Marseille.
The Egyptian was named in the first-XI for the Reds’ latest Champions League away trip following his return from AFCON duties.
Arne Slot told to start Mo Salah vs Bournemouth
Merson was of the mind that Slot would be ‘opening a can of worms’ if the Dutch head coach failed to start Salah on the south coast.
“I’d be shocked if Mohamed Salah does not start against Bournemouth,” the Sky Sports pundit wrote in his Sportskeeda column.
“If he doesn’t, Arne Slot is opening a can of worms here.
“This game could also suit Florian Wirtz. Bournemouth are a team that will let you play, so there will be space for Wirtz to exploit. I’d choose Salah, Wirtz and Hugo Ekitike as the front-three.”
The remaining spots in the starting-XI seem more or less obvious at this stage – Hugo Ekitike up top and Florian Wirtz playing out wide.
Getting the best out of Liverpool in the Premier League
That is, of course, unless the Liverpool manager wishes to bring the 4-2-2-2 – favoured against Marseille – back with him to England. It would allow our record German signing to play centrally (in what many agree to be his most influential position) with Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong supplying the width.
How did Salah get on against Marseille?
Mo Salah picked up the lowest score (7.1/10) of any starting Liverpool player during the away win at the Orange Vélodrome, according to Fotmob.
Our No.11 created one chance and missed a big chance in his return to club action following Egypt’s third-place playoff defeat in AFCON.
| Mo Salah stats vs Marseille |
| 1 chance created |
| 3 touches in opposition box |
| 1/2 successful dribbles |
| 0.55 non-penalty xG |
| 1 big chance missed |
| 1 defensive contribution |
| 3 recoveries |
| 2/4 ground duels won |
* Mo Salah’s stats against Marseille in the Champions League (Fotmob)
Even taking into consideration his most recent display, the Egyptian simply can’t be written off lightly.
It’s worth pointing out that Salah ultimately remains one of Liverpool’s most creative options in the forward line, registering over the course of the 2025/26 season:
- 6 big chances created (second in the squad)
- 33 chances created (second in the squad)
Judging by all of the noises coming out of Arne Slot, we’re not under any impression that he’s prepared to open the proverbial can of worms again any time soon.
Join our channel of readers on WhatsApp to get the day’s top stories straight to your mobile
Source link
Add Comment