Obi Mikel’s moving take on Salah’s slump as Liverpool lose their way
If you’ve watched Liverpool lately, you’ll know the swagger’s gone missing. A 3-2 defeat at Brentford – the Bees buzzing, the Reds bedraggled – leaves Arne Slot’s defending champions seven points shy of Arsenal. And front and centre of the scrutiny is Mohamed Salah, 33 now, so often the relentless finisher, suddenly looking short of his usual menace.
Mikel’s theory: the human side behind the numbers
On The Obi One podcast, John Obi Mikel offered a poignant explanation. The former Chelsea midfielder reckons Salah’s downturn can’t be separated from the raw emotion inside the Liverpool camp following the tragic death of Diogo Jota over the summer. Mikel says Salah was close to Jota, and it shows: the Egyptian “doesn’t look himself,” more a shade than the sharp-edged scorer we’ve come to expect. Anyone who’s lived a dressing room knows it: you spend more time with teammates than family; lose a figure like that and it leaves a mark that doesn’t fade overnight.
From record-breaking to searching for rhythm
Here’s the context. Since arriving in 2017, Salah’s been a metronome of end product for Liverpool: 414 matches yielding 249 goals and 116 assists at the time of writing. Last season he set a new Premier League benchmark for goal involvements with 47 (29 goals, 18 assists), nudging past Thierry Henry’s 44 from 2002/03. This term, as October closed, he’s sitting on seven goal contributions (four goals, three assists) in 13 outings. He did net late at Brentford, but it was consolation at best.
The eye test backs it up: Salah’s drifted in and out, with the Reds increasingly leaning on summer signing Hugo Ekitike and the lively Cody Gakpo to provide the spark. When Liverpool’s right-sided patterns misfire, Salah’s isolated; the supply line looks fractured and the angles he thrives on aren’t arriving with the same snap.
Reds’ wobble under Slot: bruising run, frayed belief
Let’s have it right: it’s not just Salah. Liverpool have dropped six of their last seven across all competitions, the lone bright spot a Champions League win over Eintracht Frankfurt. A 5-0 shellacking by Crystal Palace in the League Cup stung, and since September 27 they’ve lost more matches than any side in Europe’s top five leagues in all competitions (six). It’s no shock the whispers have started; should the club pull the plug on Slot, Oliver Glasner is among the names fancied to step in.
Reading the room – and the markets – is tricky at times like these. If you’re weighing form, fixtures and momentum swings, our best betting sites guide is a sensible pit stop. Form can flip fast, and prices move even faster when a giant like Liverpool threatens a course correction.
Slot’s stance: trust in a proven great
To his credit, Slot isn’t flapping. He’s brushed off talk of a permanent decline, pointing out that even the best miss chances in streaks. The manager’s line is simple: Salah’s been a goalscorer his entire career, and that muscle memory doesn’t vanish. In other words, keep creating and the dam will burst.
Pundit’s verdict: head and heart, supply and timing
Mikel’s take resonates. Grief doesn’t obey fixture lists; it lingers. Blend that with a team out of rhythm and you get a flat-looking forward line. The fixes are there: cleaner rotations on the right, quicker switches to isolate Salah one-v-one, and Ekitike’s movement knitting that front three more cohesively. If Liverpool tighten the structure, Salah’s touch will sharpen and the finishing stroke will follow – it usually does with players of his class.
As things stand, the Reds need a performance to reset the mood. Salah’s still the man most likely, but he – and Liverpool – are carrying more than just tactical tweaks right now. That’s the bit the numbers don’t always show.
All statistics per Transfermarkt, correct as of 31/10/2025.
