Picture this: a football superstar who has lit up the pitch for years, pouring his heart into a legendary club, suddenly grappling with the cold, hard truth of time passing and team dynamics shifting. Mohamed Salah, the Liverpool icon, embodies this emotional rollercoaster, proving that even the untouchable can become vulnerable—but his legacy? That's forever etched in stone.
Just a few hours before the match kicked off at Anfield on that memorable Saturday, eager fans were already lining up outside the King Harry pub. The surrounding terraced streets buzzed with vibrant murals honoring Liverpool's past and present legends. At the spot where Blessington Road meets Anfield Road, the tribute to Mohamed Salah was especially magnetic, attracting a throng of admirers.
This masterpiece, crafted by local artist John Culshaw, vividly captures Salah's euphoric celebrations after two standout goals from his remarkable tally of 250 for the Reds. One scene shows him with arms wide open, commemorating that clever lob in the Champions League quarter-final second leg against Manchester City back in 2018. The other depicts him striding through a haze of red smoke following a unforgettable strike in a fiery Merseyside derby at Everton in 2021.
What a transformative force Salah has been for Liverpool! 'He's absolutely legendary,' exclaimed Donal Cheape, a supporter from Dublin who was soaking in the mural's vibe. 'One of the club's all-time greats, no doubt.'
And he's right. There's something deeply inspiring about the journey of a young boy from a humble village in rural Egypt (for a deeper dive into his origins, check out this fascinating piece: https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/1470444/2020/01/20/mo-salah-liverpool-origin-story-nagrig/) who overcame incredible obstacles. He didn't just crack the Premier League; through sheer brilliance, he left an indelible mark on a club steeped in history and adored worldwide.
In an era when football often feels like a cutthroat business transaction, Salah's bond with Liverpool has felt like a perfect match: the ideal talent fitting seamlessly into the perfect club at just the right moment.
Fans admiring the Salah murals ahead of Saturday's clash (Michael Regan/Getty Images)
But here's where it gets controversial... While fans can idolize a player and hold them close to their hearts, the ties between a club and their star are rarely straightforward, especially as the years roll on and a player's peak performance begins to fade. Think about it—football is a sport where loyalties can shift faster than a defender's tackle.
You see echoes of this in the stories of other Anfield immortals featured on those murals. Robbie Fowler, once dubbed 'God' by teammates and supporters, never earned that title from manager Gerard Houllier, who eventually shipped him off to Leeds United. Steven Gerrard, after contemplating an earlier exit, felt the club had turned its back on him in his mid-thirties. Even Salah's old teammate Roberto Firmino, whose grinning portrait adorns a nearby house on Anfield Road, admitted to feeling 'confused' and 'pushed aside' before his 2023 departure was made official (more on that here: https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/4272580/2023/03/03/roberto-firmino-liverpool-leaving/#:~:text=After%20eight%20years%20at%20Anfield,farewell%20over%20the%20coming%20weeks.).
Nearby on Sybil Road, just two streets from Anfield, another mural pays homage to Roger Hunt and Ian St John, iconic strikers from Bill Shankly's championship-winning squads in the 1960s. Hunt, one of only two players to outscore Salah for Liverpool, was heartbroken when he lost his starting spot and was swiftly sold to Bolton Wanderers. St John, a Shankly mainstay for almost a decade, sensed his Liverpool days were numbered when he received a scrawny turkey for Christmas, only to learn the juicier ones were saved for the first-team squad.
Is this the awkward 'scrawny turkey' phase for Salah in his Liverpool saga? It certainly seemed so after he was relegated to the bench for three straight Premier League games, lashing out at the club for 'throwing him under the bus' and hinting his rapport with manager Arne Slot was irreparably broken.
This shocking rant has split Liverpool fans right down the middle—some rallying behind Salah's frustration, others questioning his loyalty. But the club's brass? They weren't having it, responding with a firm stance. Slot retaliated by sidelining Salah entirely for Tuesday's Champions League showdown at Inter, where Liverpool clinched a slim 1-0 victory. With emotions at a boiling point, it felt plausible that Salah, heading off for the Africa Cup of Nations with Egypt, might have just played his final Liverpool match.
Arne Slot hasn't included Salah in the starting lineup for any of Liverpool's last five fixtures (Carl Recine/Getty Images)
And yet, there he was on Saturday, not only reinstated to the squad following a heart-to-heart chat the day before, but called on from the bench in the 26th minute to replace injured defender Joe Gomez. Amid all the pre-match buzz about potential Salah scenarios—perhaps a dramatic late goal from the sidelines, a fleeting cameo, or no action at all—this early switch-in, with Liverpool already ahead against Brighton & Hove Albion thanks to Hugo Ekitike's lightning-fast opener, felt surprisingly low-key.
What it offered, though, was a valuable chance—for everyone, especially Slot—to assess if Salah could still sync up tactically, physically, and mentally with Liverpool's evolving style.
For much of the last decade, under first Jurgen Klopp and then Slot last season, Liverpool's offense heavily relied on a dynamic right-side partnership between full-back Trent Alexander-Arnold and Salah darting inside from the wing. With Alexander-Arnold now at Real Madrid and Salah turning 33, summer brought a strategic overhaul: signing three top-tier, pricey attackers—Florian Wirtz, Alexander Isak, and Ekitike—to diversify goal-scoring and chance creation.
The season's been a grind for everyone at Anfield, new recruits included. While Salah wrestles with the march of time, Wirtz adjusts to the Premier League's brutal demands, and Isak navigates the pressures of a £125 million ($170m) transfer (insights here: https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6591674/2025/09/03/alexander-isak-liverpool-newcastle-transfer-inside-deal/), Ekitike has emerged as a beacon of hope and excitement.
It's not just his stats—seven Premier League goals, plus strikes in the Champions League, Carabao Cup, and Community Shield—that impress. His swift, fluid movements and clinical finishing stand out, especially contrasted with Isak's challenges. On Saturday, while eyes were on Salah, Ekitike commanded the stage, smashing in the opener within 60 seconds and spearheading the attack with a flair Liverpool has sorely missed this term. His brace at Leeds last weekend and another here showcased his versatile scoring arsenal.
Could Hugo Ekitike be Liverpool's new leading man for the seasons ahead? (Paul Ellis/AFP via Getty Images)
Introducing a striker like Ekitike—distinct from the likes of Firmino, Darwin Nunez, or the late Diogo Jota (read more about Jota's impact: https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6803952/2025/11/17/diogo-jota-liverpool-death-impact/?source=twitteruk)—reshapes the entire forward dynamic. Wirtz seems to be aligning with Ekitike's rhythm, but for Salah, at this career juncture, it's uncertain if he has the stamina or drive to adapt to a setup centered on feeding a central striker rather than maximizing his own, albeit waning, prowess.
Salah hustled on Saturday. During one Brighton counter in the first half, he sprinted back faster than his teammates, though the cross sailed over. Still, when Dominik Szoboszlai and Curtis Jones filled in at right-back after Gomez's exit, they were exposed as Brighton pressed in the second half. Hard to pin that on Salah, but it highlighted Liverpool's right-side vulnerabilities like never since his benching four games back.
Nevertheless, Slot praised Salah's role in the 2-0 triumph. He assisted Ekitike's second from a corner, crafted openings for others, and nearly capitalized on a Federico Chiesa cross deep in injury time.
Amid the defensive woes this season, Slot told reporters Salah delivered 'exactly as every fan—including myself—would want him to today.' 'He posed a real threat,' the manager added. 'That's crucial when you have attackers; you need them to menace the opposition.'
The post-match scenes—Salah lingering to thank fans in every stand, met with roaring cheers—felt like a fond farewell. But was it the endgame, or just acknowledging the ongoing limbo before his AFCON stint? It seemed more like the latter.
Salah set up Ekitike’s second goal – his 90th Premier League assist (Paul ELLIS / AFP via Getty Images)
Slot anticipates Salah's January return, insisting 'there's nothing to sort out' post-Friday talks, though his comments carried a touch of ambiguity. Salah's silent social media share of the final-whistle footage echoed that nuance.
What's undeniable is that we're in the twilight of Salah's Liverpool chapter. Whether a split comes soon, at season's end, upon his 2027 contract expiry, or—less likely—later, recent events mark a seismic shift in their partnership.
For the first time on Merseyside, Salah is no longer invincible—and if he's as incensed by that as his Leeds outburst suggested, those rifts won't vanish easily. But here's the part most people miss: Salah has cherished every moment at Liverpool over eight-and-a-half years—not only the goals and trophies, but the prestige and love they've bestowed. Even with the 'Egyptian King' imagery from his latest contract renewal last April, he must have foreseen challengers rising and his reign evolving.
Nothing endures in sports forever—except the cherished memories and images left by players of Salah's extraordinary caliber. That's why, despite chatter of a tarnished legacy from one heated interview, his iconic status remains rock-solid.
Yet, that status doesn't guarantee a spot once age creeps in. It boils down to whether a player can keep outrunning that relentless foe or pivot wisely. For Salah—and for all watching him vanish down the tunnel on Saturday—that's the big, lingering mystery. And this is where opinions diverge wildly: Is Ekitike truly poised to dethrone Salah, or can the veteran reinvent himself? Do you side with Salah's public frustration, or does the club deserve loyalty during transitions? Should players like him gracefully step aside for fresh talent, or is fighting for your place a sign of true passion? Share your take in the comments—do you think this chapter closes soon, or could Salah defy the odds one more time?
