Liverpool turned a page on Wednesday evening, thrashing Galatasaray to advance to the quarter-finals of the Champions League. Paris Saint-Germain await, but why don’t we forget about that for now.
The truth is that Liverpool and Arne Slot will expect a very different test against Brighton & Hove Albion at Saturday noon in the Premier League. It will likely be a sterner test, with the Seagulls’ high-octane style of play something that has thwarted Slot’s side numerous times throughout the season.
There’s a lot on the line in the Premier League, with last weekend’s drab draw against Tottenham Hotspur aggravating the desperate need for points.
In other words, Liverpool need to win at the AMEX, though they will have to do it without the injured Mohamed Salah.
The latest on Mohamed Salah’s injury
Salah, 33, has avoided injury throughout the lion’s share of his Liverpool career, but he’ll miss the trip to the south coast on Saturday, though the severity of the muscular injury is as yet unknown.
Salah scored a throwback strike during Wednesday’s win over Galatasaray, also assisting Hugo Ekitike’s goal, and the hope will be that the veteran has reclaimed some of his mojo to reshape what has been a startingly difficult year.
But he requested to be substituted in the second half, dampening Liverpool’s mood and giving Slot something of a selection headache at right wing.
The Dutch coach has been reluctant to start Federico Chiesa in the Premier League since the start of his tenure, and an injury to Joe Gomez means Jeremie Frimpong will probably be required at right-back.
Slot does have a trump card up his sleeve, though, with the new Sadio Mane itching to make another start in the Premier League.
Slot must unleash Liverpool’s new Mane
Salah has left a lot to be desired in the Premier League this season. His powers as an elite scorer have waned, and he’s lost 70% of his duels.
If he was fit, he would start, but Slot must now adapt, and he might even find that unleashing Rio Ngumoha proves the perfect way to deal with Brighton’s intensity.
Ngumoha, 17, is emerging as the shining light of the season for Liverpool, scoring a last-gasp winner against Newcastle on his Premier League debut back in August and now – finally – starting to earn regular minutes.
Hailed as an “unbelievable” talent by teammate Andy Robertson, Ngumoha’s pace and fleet-footed dribbling make him a deadly opponent, and his directness in the final third is even reminiscent of Sadio Mane in Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool side.
Mane left Liverpool almost three years ago, and still he is missed. The Senegalese is hardly the easiest profile to replace, but in Ngumoha, Slot could capture the electric presence out wide that has been sorely lacking this term.
Brighton, after all, aren’t the strongest defensive unit in the Premier League, and while Ngumoha would be playing out on the right, on his unnatural side, he still has the attributes to inflict damage on Fabian Hurzeler’s side.
A game-changer and difference-maker, the teenager is only going to improve as he plays more frequently, and after recent weeks, he’s hardly done his chances any harm, a bright spark during last week’s draw with Spurs and a livewire during both recent trips to Molineux.
Brighton are an intense team, working tirelessly and looking to capitalise on any athletic weaknesses shown by their opponents. Therefore, it may not be the worst thing in the world to see Salah sidelined for this one, especially if Ngumoha brings his A-game.
Liverpool were at their rip-roaring best against Galatasaray in midweek, but performances of that standard have been few and far between throughout the campaign, and fans will frankly fear another setback.
That may seem negative, but it’s a worldview thats been nailed into fans’ minds after so many false dawns. This is a match that certainly seems apt to be a banana skin for Slot to slip on, and now he must show that that’s not the case.
Salah, at his potent best, would be an invaluable asset, but Ngumoha’s pace and energy could provide the extra dimension down the right channel, especially when considering he would be linking with Jeremie Frimpong behind him.
But in Ngumoha, a new star has been born, and he could step up in Salah’s absence on Saturday.
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