Liverpool Secures Victory Over Marseille as Salah Returns to Form

Mohamed Salah made his first start for Liverpool since the team’s defeat to PSV in November.

Arne Slot, manager of Feyenoord, reminisced about his positive experiences in Marseille, where his side reached the Europa Conference League final in 2022. On the eve of the match at the Stade Velodrome, he was queried about those memories and surprisingly confronted regarding Xabi Alonso’s possible connections to the Liverpool managerial position.

However, any speculation surrounding the future of Liverpool’s manager was quelled by a characteristic European away performance from his team, which has now bested Marseille, as well as Eintracht Frankfurt and Inter Milan, during their travels this season. Their impressive unbeaten run of 13 matches (7 wins and 6 draws) across all competitions is now the longest ongoing streak among teams in Europe’s top five leagues, a commendable feat in itself. Notably, Liverpool has not lost a match since November.

For Slot, this was particularly significant as it marked the first victory in a match where Salah started since November 4, when Liverpool triumphed over Real Madrid in the Champions League. It appears a clear line has been drawn following Salah’s interview at Leeds, enabling both player and manager to move forward for the benefit of the club.

The reality is that both Salah and Slot need each other. In a pre-match commentary, Slot stated to TNT Sports, “During the times I didn’t play him, I was experimenting with different strategies. We have lacked goals despite dominating possession. If there’s one player in Liverpool’s history capable of scoring, it’s Mo Salah.”

Although Salah did not add to his record of 46 Champions League goals for Liverpool, having missed a key opportunity in the second half, the overall assurance demonstrated by the team in a 4-2-2-2 formation would likely please Slot and provide valuable insights for future matches.

“It is a testament to Salah’s professionalism that, after being away with a different team for over a month, he is fit enough to play a full 90 minutes for us after just one day of training,” Slot remarked. “He was so close to scoring; under normal circumstances, it would have been a goal for him. However, it didn’t hinder us as we managed to score three times.”

Liverpool’s attacking setup featured Florian Wirtz and Dominik Szoboszlai positioned behind Salah and Hugo Ekitike, while Jeremie Frimpong and Milos Kerkez provided width on the flanks. The two summer signings excelled in their roles, with Frimpong’s energy allowing Salah to concentrate on his offensive responsibilities, though Salah also contributed defensively.

“Salah integrated seamlessly into Liverpool’s formation,” stated Steven Warnock on Match of the Day. “To maximize his potential, continuity and consistency are essential, suggesting Slot will likely deploy him this way again. This approach mitigates his defensive duties, allowing him to conserve energy for attacking opportunities. Tonight, he consistently positioned himself behind the defenders, looking for chances and had two excellent opportunities he could have converted better.

Both full-backs delivered outstanding performances, contributing in both defensive and offensive capacities. They played high during possession, providing width and effectively managing their defensive responsibilities.

Slot’s challenge now is to navigate low-block defenses, even as former captain Steven Gerrard advised him to refrain from overemphasizing this issue. “I’m genuinely pleased for him. Managing under pressure is never easy,” Gerrard said. “His tactics were impeccable tonight, warranting fulsome praise. He needs to stop discussing low blocks; they have been a reality for Liverpool since my playing days.

“I understand why we struggle with consistency, primarily due to the differences between open games and those against low blocks,” Slot clarified to TNT Sports. “You cannot compare tonight’s game, which featured two teams keen to press and play from the back, with the difficulties we face against low blocks. Our inconsistency stems from these challenges.

While it is unlikely that Bournemouth will deploy a low block strategy on Saturday, Andoni Iraola may consider Liverpool’s recent vulnerabilities when planning his approach. Nevertheless, this evening was a night for Liverpool to relish, and another memorable occasion for Slot in the south of France.