After a week of torment for the Anfield faithful, Mohamed Salah was back strutting his stuff in a Liverpool strip after replacing Joe Gomez inside half an hour of their Premier League meeting with Brighton & Hove Albion. The reception he received, as expected, was raucous from the home fans – but how did the Egyptian forward perform in his first appearance since those comments?
Something of an unfamiliar feeling for him, three weeks of not being in Slot’s starting line-up was enough for Salah to hit out at the Dutchman following Liverpool’s 3-3 draw with Leeds United, with him claiming the club had ‘thrown him under the bus’. “I used to have a good relationship (with Slot). Now we don’t have any relationship and I don’t know why,” he said.
Without a doubt a legend in Anfield circles, 33-year-old Salah threw his time at the club into doubt with his incendiary remarks in the Elland Road mixed zone and there were questions over whether he would ever play in Liverpool colours again. That question, however, was answered on Saturday afternoon as he was subbed on, to the sound of applause, in the 25th minute.
The Premier League have spoken out amid serious anger among Liverpool fans.
Recalled after being excluded from their Champions League squad to face Inter Milan in the week, Salah was initially named on the bench with Dominik Szoboszlai – who is, statistically, one of the best-performing players in the Premier League right now – in his place on the right flank. But he quickly got the chance to silence any doubters when his excellence was called upon.
An injury to Gomez meant that Slot was forced to rely on Salah earlier than many expected and Szoboszlai reverted to a role at right-back as the Egypt international assumed his typical position – on the right wing with Hugo Ekitike through the middle and Florian Wirtz on the opposite flank.
He may have missed a golden opportunity to mark his return to Anfield with a goal in added time, but there was still plenty to enjoy about the former Chelsea man’s performance.
Mohamed Salah Statistics vs Brighton
Minutes
64
Touches
45
Touches in Opposition Box
8
Goals/Assists
0/1
Total Shots
3
Accurate Passes
27/32 (84%)
Overall Rating
8.3
Energetic as soon as he entered the fray, “Mo Salah, Mo Salah running down the wing” was belted out by the match-going home supporters as they welcomed back a club legend. His assist, albeit a rather simple one, just proved what he is able to provide Slot and his entourage when he’s picked. Ekitike met the Egyptian’s cross to nod home, but the delivery was well-placed, it must be said.
Said assist now means that Salah has the most goal contributions (277) for a single club in the history of the Premier League, but there was much else to like about his performance. He created five chances, took 46 touches of the ball – eight of which were inside Brighton’s 18-yard box – and his crossing was nothing short of pinpoint. Did he prove his worth? Definitely.
Salah has been at the heart of Liverpool’s success over the past eight years since he moved from AS Roma in the summer of 2017, establishing himself as one of world football’s best players in the process. The prospect of selling him in January would not only be a sore one for the Liverpool supporters to take but the wrong decision, too. He’s too key for Slot and his entourage.
Liverpool Supporters React to Mohamed Salah’s Return to Action Against Brighton
So… are fans back on the side of Salah, who is widely regarded as one of the greatest players in the storied history of Liverpool, or do they still think that parting ways with the seasoned winger is the best course of action? Many, taking to X (formerly Twitter) are of the belief that he has to stay. “There is no reason for Salah to leave right now. We can have a great season,” one wrote.
“Mo has been on a poor run but any plans by LFC to sell him would be completely foolish. Football is such a protected sport, no player can voice an opinion, Salah was entitled to his,” another added as a third commented: “Can we not sell Salah please? This team can win the Champions League with the addition of Guehi and Semenyo.”
“With Salah in place of Gomez, this seemed like the perfect starting 11. Salah was never THE problem. In fact since coming on he’s added energy Gomez, as a natural defender, didn’t/doesn’t have. Let’s see if this game changes the mentality of both Slot and Salah.”
“If Salah continues to play like this when he returns from AFCON, then he won’t need to worry about being dropped,” one said while another fan believes that selling Salah in the mid-season transfer window would be the wrong decision. “I don’t care what Hughes or Edwards think, there is 0 chance you can sell Mo Salah this January and get anything positive in return,” they wrote.
Mohamed Salah could leave Liverpool after a massive fallout with the club and Arne Slot – but he has to be careful.
“Salah is too good to go. HE MUST STAY,” another wrote as a final fan claimed that his cameo against Brighton proved exactly why selling him would be a poor decision. “This Salah performance is more than enough to prove his worth. He’s capable of evolving his game to suit his ageing self and no, he shouldn’t need to track back for us to be able to defend properly,” they wrote.
All statistics per FotMob – correct as of 13/12/2025
Tottenham Hotspur mean business in this summer transfer window, and they clearly have no intention of finding themselves near the relegation zone in the Premier League again anytime soon.
Tottenham have already completed the signings of three players ahead of the Roberto De Zerbi revolution, including a Champions League and Premier League winner in Andy Robertson, Marcos Senesi and Jan Paul van Hecke.
It has been suggested that they want to complete seven summer signings, with a midfielder and three attackers to follow, although Spurs are also being linked with a second central midfielder and goalkeepers with Guglielmo Vicario expected to leave.
The north Londoners have been working hard on a deal to sign De Zerbi’s top target Sandro Tonali, having already had a £75m bid rejected by Newcastle United for the Italy international.
The 26-year-old is said to be keen on a move to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium to link up with Italian compatriot De Zerbi, as Spurs continue to show huge ambition in the market.
Tonali isn’t the only midfielder De Zerbi has on his wishlist however, with the 47-year-old also wanting to sign West Ham United midfielder Mateus Fernandes on top of the Italian, following the Irons’ relegation to the Championship.
Tottenham ‘Very Close’ to Mateus Fernandes Agreement
via Reuters
Italian journalist Matteo Moretto reported on Saturday that Tottenham are now ‘very close’ to reaching an agreement on personal terms with Fernandes, as they look to try and beat Premier League rivals Manchester United to his signature.
United had looked to be in clear pole position to sign the Portugal international, who would like to link up with Portuguese teammate Bruno Fernandes at Old Trafford, but Spurs appear to have made an attractive offer to him as well, which would allow him to remain in London.
The Red Devils can also offer the ‘elite’ 21-year-old star Champions League football next term while Spurs have no European football to offer at all.
Nevertheless, Fernandes seems ready to join Tottenham if they can agree a fee with West Ham, as he looks to avoid playing in England’s second tier.
Tonali Will Love Fernandes
via Reuters
If Tottenham can pull off an audacious double swoop for Tonali and Fernandes, like De Zerbi wants them to, they would arguably have one of the best central midfield partnerships in the Premier League.
Tonali is a physically imposing midfielder with impressive strength and stamina, while he has also shown his ability to dicate matches and make an impact in the final third at St James’ Park too.
Fernandes could prove to be the perfect player to complement him in the Tottenham engine room, given the Portuguese’s own versatility.
The 21-year-old has proven he can play as a ‘6’, ‘8’ and a ’10’ during his spells with West Ham and Southampton, and that adaptability will allow Tonali to not only sit deep, but also get involved in more attacking areas too because he knows he can rely on him for tackling success.
When Tonali finds Fernandes in possession, he knows that youngster will use the ball well too after what we’ve seen from him at St Mary’s and the London Stadium.
Arsenal are facing a fight to keep hold of defender Piero Hincapie, as ESPN reports that Real Madrid have made enquiries about signing the Ecuadorian international this summer.
However, with centre-back problems lurking in the background for the Spanish giants, they are back shopping in the Premier League, and are looking to swipe a star from the Gunners.
Real Madrid Want Piero Hincapie
After failing in an attempt to sign Calafiori, Real Madrid are looking at Arsenal star Hincapie, as ESPN reports that enquiries have been made over a deal.
It comes as Los Blancos want a left-footed centre-back, with moves elsewhere in the backline set to free up a space for the position this summer.
Any deal looks difficult, however, as Arsenal are set to make Hincapie’s loan from Bayer Leverkusen permanent this summer with a £45 million clause in his deal.
That’s not to say a move isn’t possible, but the Gunners would likely be hesitant to let the 24-year-old leave without at least banking a significant profit on a switch to a Champions League rival.
Having already sounded out Hincapie, the report adds that Real Madrid have also enquired about Ruben Dias, Alessandro Bastoni, and Nico Schlotterbeck – though the latter is now unlikely to move due to an injury sustained at the World Cup with Germany.
In all, it means Arsenal could face a potential battle in keeping the versatile defender, but have all the cards in their hand to keep him if they so wish.
You scored
out of 20
What Mikel Arteta has said about Hincapie
Hincapie wasn’t always a guaranteed started for Arsenal over the course of the previous season, but he did play a large role in the team finally winning the Premier League.
The defender was a reliable option, especially when injuries struck in the backline, adding plenty of pace and physicality at full-back in particular.
“When I spoke to Xabi just before we were going to sign him, I said if you have to describe him in one word, what would you use, and he said, ‘He’s a warrior,'” Arteta said in March to TNT Sports.
Arsenal continue to be linked with potential forward options in the market, but face a battle to land one key target.
“He will play through brick walls for you and he’s one of the most competitive players that I have had. He’s come into the Premier League after surgery and a difficult start without a pre-season, and when you see him around his team-mates and competing on the pitch, it’s like he’s been here for 10 years.
“He has an aura, a charisma – a really special character.”
It shows exactly what Arteta thinks of Hincapie, and perhaps further underlines how tough it may be for Real Madrid to tempt a move this summer.
One England player chose not to shake Thomas Partey’s hand before the Three Lions faced Ghana in their second World Cup game in Boston on Tuesday night.
The Ghanaian midfielder, previously of Arsenal, is currently facing allegations that include seven counts of rape and one count of sexual assault involving four different women, as per The Mirror.
These incidents are alleged to have taken place between 2020 and 2022, with investigations taking place while he was still plying his trade in the Premier League.
England have been urged to change their national anthem for football matches, and ditch ‘God Save the King’.
England Player Refuses Thomas Partey’s Handshake Before World Cup Tie
Cody Grubbs (Sipa USA via Reuters)
Heading into the clash, the English FA’s stance was that the players could make their own decision on whether or not to embrace Partey following the national anthems being played.
In Djed Spence’s case, the Tottenham defender chose to keep his arms by his side as his former north London adversary walked past him. Watch the incident below:
