There was a show of mutual appreciation.
As the No 11 went up on the board in the 77th minute and Mohamed Salah headed towards the touchline, the Anfield crowd afforded him a standing ovation.
The Liverpool forward applauded them back and then raised his left arm to acknowledge their vociferous support before shaking Arne Slot’s outstretched hand.
Salah usually takes being substituted as a personal affront, but on Saturday evening he appeared at ease with making way for teenager Rio Ngumoha. It helped that Liverpool’s place in the last 16 of the FA Cup had already been secured with the Egyptian playing a starring role against Brighton & Hove Albion.
For just the third time in his Liverpool career, Salah scored a goal, provided an assist and won a penalty in a single game. It hadn’t happened since he did it in back-to-back appearances against Newcastle United and Arsenal in December 2018.
“It’s very nice to have Mo on the scoresheet again and him having an assist,” Slot said.
“What I like the most at the moment is that he’s scoring goals — which is something you can almost expect — but he also helps the team a lot defensively.
“That is something very positive — what the team also needs — and I think more and more players are now capable of playing at this intensity level every three days. That is where we struggled a lot in the beginning of the season, where it was sometimes hard for us to bring the intensity level once a week, let alone every three days.”
When Brighton visited Anfield for a Premier League game 63 days earlier, Salah’s future was shrouded in uncertainty. It was his last appearance for the club before the Africa Cup of Nations, and it was unclear whether he was saying goodbye temporarily or permanently.
Salah had been recalled to the squad by Slot for that 2-0 Premier League win after being omitted from the Champions League trip to Italy to face Inter following his incendiary post-match interview at Elland Road.
Having been left out of three successive starting line-ups, Salah believed he had been made a scapegoat for the team’s failings and accused Liverpool of “throwing him under the bus”. He also claimed his relationship with Slot had broken down and left the door open to a potential January move.
His time away at the tournament in Morocco allowed the dust to settle and it soon became clear that Salah’s outburst had simply been an emotional reaction to losing his place rather than any orchestrated attempt to force his way out amid ongoing interest from the Saudi Pro League. He apologised to his team-mates for the upheaval he caused and Slot made it clear that he didn’t bear a grudge.
An uneasy truce was struck and it was always going to be intriguing to see how that dynamic worked post-AFCON. The goals and assists had dried up, but it was more Salah’s lack of contribution out of possession which had convinced Slot to drop him in late November after Liverpool suffered their ninth defeat in the space of 12 games in all competitions.
In Salah’s absence, the Dutchman succeeded in making his team more compact and harder to play through as he ended their slump. Since Salah’s return to club duties, the Egyptian has started all seven Liverpool games and it was telling that Slot on Saturday talked up how he “helps the team a lot defensively”. He has bought into what Slot has demanded from him.
Post-AFCON, Salah is winning possession more frequently (3.5 times per 90 minutes compared to 2.7). He’s having slightly fewer touches overall (48.8 per 90 compared to 50.7) but more in the opposition box (9.3 compared to 7.4). The goals still aren’t flowing for him but the graph below shows how he’s starting to receive (or generate) better chances in Premier League games.
Salah is also creating more for the team (3.0 chances per 90 compared to 2.4 pre-AFCON). The exquisite cushioned pass for Dominik Szoboszlai to hammer home Liverpool’s second goal against Brighton was his fourth assist in the past six games. On Saturday, he created four chances and had five shots — more than anyone else on either side. He also completed three out of four dribbles and won six out of nine duels.
In the same way as Salah suffered earlier in the season from Liverpool’s collective struggles, he’s now benefiting from the fact that the team is functioning so much better around him.
What was most eye-catching about his performance against Brighton was the sight of him bursting past defenders. He looked sharper than he had for many months.
The manner in which he won the penalty showcased that. There was the close control and then the cute turn away from Ferdi Kadioglu. He was far too strong for the Turkey international, who was still picking himself up off the turf when Pascal Gross brought Salah down.
Salah shows his turn of pace against Kadioglu (Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)
It was vintage Salah: making something out of nothing. And the spot-kick was converted in front of the Kop with real conviction. He’s now both scored and assisted in 15 different games for Liverpool in all competitions since the start of last season, nine times more than any other Premier League player (Bukayo Saka and Erling Haaland are on six) during that period.
However, the fact that this was only the second time Salah has done it in 2025-26 underlines how his output has reduced. The third-highest scorer in the club’s history has just seven goals (two of them penalties) in 27 appearances for Slot’s side this season. His previous lowest return at this stage of a campaign in his Liverpool career was 18 in 2019-20, 2022-23 and 2023-24.
“Mo is still so important for us,” captain Virgil van Dijk told reporters post-match. “He’s a leader and important for me personally as captain to have around. His presence on the field benefits the team.
“He always gives the team more than goals. There’s obviously a lot of focus on his goals at the moment and that’s also part of his life. He put the standards extremely high, so when he doesn’t score as much he gets criticised. He has to stay calm. There is still a long way to go this season.”
With Hugo Ekitike and Florian Wirtz on board, Liverpool’s attack has evolved. They are no longer so dependent on Salah, and that’s a positive as he approaches his 34th birthday in June.
A contract worth in excess of £400,000 ($456,000) per week runs until the summer of 2027, but doubts remain over whether the Egyptian’s record-breaking Anfield career will continue beyond May, given his reluctance to accept a lesser role.
Much hinges on the coming months. His powers are inevitably waning but his contribution post-AFCON shows that he can adapt and that he still has plenty to offer.
If Liverpool are going to secure a silver lining from this troubled season, then they need to keep Salah in this mood. If this is the long goodbye, he looks determined to sign off with a bang.