“I can’t bare to watch him”, “This isn’t the same guy” - Fans in disbelief after watching Liverpool star struggle during 2-1 loss to Chelsea

Mohamed Salah has drawn criticism from fans online for his performance in the Premier League match between Liverpool and Chelsea. The Egyptian had a quiet outing as the Reds fell to a last-gasp 2-1 defeat at Stamford Bridge.

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Liverpool started the game slowly and were made to pay when Moises Caicedo opened the scoring for Chelsea with a long-range strike in the 14th minute. The Premier League champions, however, rallied in response, but their failure to register a single shot on target meant Enzo Maresca's men took a slender lead into the break.

Liverpool started the second half with more intent but could only break Chelsea's resistance after the hour mark. Alexander Isak took Dominik Szoboszlai's cross in his stride and laid it down for Cody Gakpo, who put it past Blues goalkeeper Robert Sanchez.

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Chelsea, however, kept mounting pressure on the visitors until the very end, and their efforts paid dividends deep into added time as substitute Estevao Willian turned Marc Cucurella's low cross home.

While several Liverpool players had a game to forget, Salah's display drew the most criticism. The 33-year-old squandered several goal-scoring opportunities. He also failed to register a single shot on target despite playing the entirety of the match. After the match, fans took to X (formerly Twitter) to voice their disappointment, with one writing:

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"What’s wrong with Mo Salah this season man, this isn’t the same guy we know."

Moha

@MohaXtra

What’s wrong with Mo Salah this season man 😭😭 this isn’t the same guy we know.

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Another tweeted:

"Again, mo Salah. I can’t bare to watch him."

Arne’s Reds

@ArneysReds

Again, mo Salah. I can’t bare to watch him.

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"It’s becoming more and more clear that Liverpool only won the title last season because of that superhuman run of form by Mo Salah. They’re an incredibly average team now he’s past his best," an Arsenal blog wrote.

GoonerTalk

@GoonerTaIk

It’s becoming more and more clear that Liverpool only won the title last season because of that superhuman run of form by Mo Salah. They’re an incredibly average team now he’s past his best.

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"Is it time for Mo Salah to leave football, before the football leaves him?," another queried.

Rob

@Robin_W_1

Is it time for Mo Salah to leave football, before the football leaves him?

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"What does Mo Salah even do atp," asked another.

Da Bronco

@DaBronco0

What does Mo Salah even do atp 😭

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"This can’t be Mo Salah?," another added.

george

@StokeyyG2

This can’t be Mo Salah?

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Another detailed his unwanted stats, labeling his performance dire.

"Mo Salah did not win a single duel, complete a take-on or have a shot on target vs. Chelsea. He had the fewest touches (35) of any outfielder who played 90 minutes. Another dire performance."

Statman Dave

@StatmanDave

Mo Salah did not win a single duel, complete a take-on or have a shot on target vs. Chelsea. He had the fewest touches (35) of any outfielder who played 90 minutes. Another dire performance. 😮

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Salah has now gone three consecutive games without a goal contribution for Liverpool.

Liverpool boss Arne Slot leaps to Mohamed Salah's defense after dismal performance against Chelsea

Arne Slot leapt to the defense of Mohamed Salah following his side's defeat to Chelsea, insisting that he can have a poor outing because he is a human being. When asked about Salah and whether the team is missing his cutting edge, Slot said:

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"That's then interesting: did he create today so much because he didn't play during the week or did he miss the chances because he missed a bit of sharpness that he could have had if he would have played against Galatasaray? We will never know. What I like is that we brought him many times in the position he would like to be in and I would like him to be in, because he's shown in his career and since I'm here that in those positions he can score goals.

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"And I think today he had many opportunities to do what he's done so often. But he is a human being and it's not like every chance he gets is always a goal – we feel sometimes it is because of what he's done last season and so many times. But he can also have a game where he has chances and a lot of times in promising positions and doesn't have a goal or an assist."

The defeat to Chelsea meant Liverpool surrendered the top spot in the Premier League table to Arsenal, who defeated West Ham 2-0 earlier in the day.

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About the author

Ezekiel Olamide

Ezekiel is a European football journalist who covers breaking news and transfer rumors at Sportskeeda. He is currently pursuing an undergraduate degree in Accounting and has a work experience of around 3 years, having previously worked at the likes of Opera News Hub and Extratime Talk. He is a proponent of factual accuracy, meticulous research, verification of sources and journalistic ethics and standards.

An ardent Chelsea fan, Ezekiel's journey as a football fan began in his childhood, witnessing Ronaldinho dazzle with his skills. His interest in the beautiful game deepened after Nigeria were knocked out of the 2010 FIFA World Cup; he was impressed with the Super Eagles' fighting spirit in their 2-2 Group B draw against South Korea. Some other World Cup matches which have left a deep impact on him were Belgium's incredible comeback against Japan in the round of 16 of the 2018 version and the 2022 final.

Lionel Messi is the one true GOAT for Ezekiel and he also follows the Major League Soccer and the Saudi Pro League owing to him and Cristiano Ronaldo. When not writing, he spends his free time deepening his SEO knowledge and watching skits.

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