Newcastle United icon Alan Shearer has heaped praise on Liverpool talisman Mohamed Salah, highlighting a noticeable evolution in the forward’s game as he enjoys a strong run of form with the Reds.
Salah endured a relatively quiet opening to the campaign, with his usual influence in front of goal dipping during the early months of the season. However, the Egyptian international has looked rejuvenated in recent weeks, rediscovering his sharpness and consistency following his return from international duty at the Africa Cup of Nations, which was staged in Morocco.
Since rejoining Liverpool after the tournament, the 33-year-old has delivered telling numbers, scoring twice and registering four assists across his last seven appearances in all competitions. Beyond the statistics, though, it is Salah’s all-round contribution that has caught the eye.
Speaking in comments reported by Liverpool.com, Shearer pointed to a clear improvement in Salah’s defensive work, suggesting it has added a new dimension to his overall game.
“Did you listen to Arne Slot yesterday?” Shearer said. “I think he went the extra mile to praise Mohamed Salah’s defensive performance. I’ve noticed it myself over the last couple of games — he’s putting in a much greater defensive effort than I’ve seen from him for a while.”
Liverpool head coach Arne Slot had earlier singled out Salah for praise following the Reds’ FA Cup clash against Brighton last Saturday, a match in which the Egyptian star scored, set up a goal and won a penalty in a commanding display.
“It’s really great that he’s scoring again,” Slot said. “But what I like most is that he’s scoring the goals you expect from him, and at the same time he’s helping the team a lot defensively, which is very positive.”
Slot went on to stress the importance of sustained collective effort as Liverpool navigate a demanding schedule. “The team needs to put in more work every three days, which is something we struggled with at the beginning of the season,” he added. “Now we’re seeing more and more quality from our players. The future looks very promising, and what we’ve seen over the last seven, eight, nine or ten games confirms that.”
With his confidence restored and his game seemingly more complete than ever, Salah appears set to play a central role as Liverpool push forward in the business end of the season.
