{"id":146295,"date":"2025-09-18T23:28:15","date_gmt":"2025-09-18T23:28:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/146295\/"},"modified":"2025-09-18T23:28:15","modified_gmt":"2025-09-18T23:28:15","slug":"salah-bites-back-palmers-groin-slot-on-isak","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/146295\/","title":{"rendered":"Salah bites back, Palmer’s groin + Slot on Isak"},"content":{"rendered":"

Reports of Mohamed Salah\u2018s (\u00a314.5m) demise may have been greatly exaggerated\u2026<\/p>\n

The Egyptian scored and assisted as Liverpool edged Atletico Madrid 3-2 on Wednesday, a match that saw Alexander Isak (\u00a310.4m) make his Reds debut.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, in Munich, Cole Palmer (\u00a310.4m) shrugged off his groin niggles to find the net twice \u2013 albeit with one goal disallowed \u2013 as Chelsea fell to defeat.<\/p>\n

Here are our Fantasy Premier League (FPL) takeaways from both matches.<\/p>\n

The graphics and data in this Scout Notes piece come from Statsbomb.<\/p>\n

Subscribers of Fantasy Football Scout can get Statsbomb data for the Premier League, Champions League and more with their Memberships \u2013\u00a0the full details of which are here.<\/a><\/p>\n

WEDNESDAY\u2019S RESULTSTeamOpponentResultGoalsAssistsChelseaBayern Munich (a)1-3 lossPalmerGustoLiverpoolAtletico Madrid (h)3-2 winRobertson, Salah, van DijkSalah, Gravenberch, SzoboszlaiSELECTION\/ROTATIONTeamNo. of starting XI changes made from GW4Players who kept their places (mins played)Mins for other playersChelsea4Sanchez (90), Tosin (90), Chalobah (90), Caicedo (90), Pedro (90), Fernandez (81), Neto (68)Gusto (90), Cucurella (90), Palmer (90), James (68), Santos (22), Garnacho (22), Estevao (9)Liverpool3Alisson (90), Van Dijk (90), Konate (90), Gravenberch (90), Szoboszlai (90), Salah (90), Wirtz (74), Gakpo (58)Robertson (86), Frimpong (58), Isak (58), Bradley (32), Mac Allister (32), Ekitike (32), Ngumoha (16), Kerkez (4)<\/p>\n

It was all change at full-back for Chelsea, with Marc Cucurella (\u00a36.2m) and Malo Gusto (\u00a34.9m) coming in, while Reece James (\u00a35.5m) started in midfield. That allowed Enzo Fernandez (\u00a36.6m) to push forward into the \u201910\u2019 role.<\/p>\n

Palmer meanwhile started his first match since Gameweek 1.<\/p>\n

Liverpool fielded fresh full-backs, too, with Andrew Robertson (\u00a35.9m) and Jeremie Frimpong (\u00a35.9m) recalled. Milos Kerkez (\u00a36.0m) and Alexis Mac Allister (\u00a36.4m) dropped out, with Dominik Szoboszlai (\u00a36.5m) moving from right-back to central midfield.<\/p>\n

Isak for Hugo Ekitike (\u00a38.8m) was like-for-like up top.<\/p>\n

SLOT ON ISAK<\/p>\n

Isak got through 58 minutes at Anfield, understandably looking rusty initially but growing in confidence and understanding as the game wore on.<\/p>\n

His link-up play with Florian Wirtz (\u00a38.4m) was especially encouraging. It was the probing German who teed up Isak for his two shots, the \u00a3125m striker gliding in from the left and firing two efforts from the edge of the box \u2013 one wide, one tamely on target.<\/p>\n

\"Isak\"\"<\/p>\n

The undoubted class was visible at times; now, the fitness just needs working on.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s likely that Ekitike will be back to lead the line in the Merseyside derby, which follows less than 63 hours after full-time in Wednesday\u2019s epic. Isak will probably get on the pitch, and Arne Slot didn\u2019t explicitly say he wouldn\u2019t make the line-up on Saturday, but two starts in under three days would surely be dicing with danger after so long out of action.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was positively surprised by how fit he was during those 60 minutes but that maybe, probably, tells you that it might be a difference to sign a 20-year-old from a different league or a 25- or 26-year-old that is used to playing in this league. Although he only trained for two weeks, he has so many games under his belt that he is probably more able to be ready for 60.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut I was positively surprised how fit he was, I wasn\u2019t surprised by his quality because that\u2019s what we all know. You don\u2019t have to be a manager to recognise how much quality he has. But it\u2019s always nice to see if a player starts the way he starts, like Hugo Ekitike [who], started the same as he did. Yeah, a good start, only 60 minutes and now we have to build him up from here. But I can tell you he is not going to play 90 again on Saturday.\u201d \u2013 Arne Slot on Alexander Isak<\/p>\n

THE BEST OF WIRTZ<\/p>\n

This was Wirtz\u2019s best display since his big-money move, with the German creating a match-best five chances. Not one of them was from a set piece, either.<\/p>\n

As well as the two opportunities teed up for Isak, Wirtz had two other big chances created spurned. A lovely one-two between the German and Isak resulted in Frimpong miskicking from close range, while Salah crashed against the post following Wirtz\u2019s lay-off on the counter.<\/p>\n

Liverpool\u2019s \u00a3100m man started off in the \u201910\u2019 behind Isak but moved to the left after an hour, with Cody Gakpo (\u00a37.7m) coming off.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

A breakthrough display, then? Time will tell, as a stubborn Everton are up next, but his relationship with Isak looks promising.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe was indeed a few times close to scoring a goal and he was also a few times close to assisting a goal \u2013 I think he was the one who created most chances for us today. So I can see with him also that he is getting fitter and fitter and adjusting more and more to us, which is normal. You need a bit of time to adjust. We all know how much quality he has but sometimes people forget that he is a 22-year-old who goes for the first time abroad.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cCombine that with going to a new club, a new playing style because [Bayer] Leverkusen played 3-4-3 and we play 4-3-3, and so we ask a bit more from him off the ball and defensively as well. But I can see him growing, growing, growing more and more and more, and I think that is what you can expect from a quality player, who always adjusts to what he needs. And he and the team will get better and better, but I liked his performance today already a lot.\u201d \u2013 Arne Slot on Florian Wirtz<\/p>\n

SALAH BOUNCES BACK\"Isak<\/p>\n

Just when you thought you were out, he pulls you back in.<\/p>\n

Salah had more shots against Atletico (six) than he had registered in Gameweeks 1-4 combined (five).<\/p>\n

The Egyptian\u2019s free-kick, fortuitously deflected in by Robertson, brought him his first attacking return of the night. The second was pure, vintage Salah. Cutting in from the right flank, he played a one-two with Ryan Gravenberch (\u00a35.5m), defying a defensive swarm to stay on the ball and slot in his first open-play Liverpool goal in a month.<\/p>\n

Look at Frimpong\u2019s role in the goal, though \u2013 the fit-again right-back making the run that drags one of Salah\u2019s markers away and sets the wheels in motion. There\u2019s certainly a school of thought that the Dutchman\u2019s searing pace and overlaps will benefit Salah more than any other right-back alternative.<\/p>\n

A lightning quick start from Liverpool \u26a1\ufe0f<\/p>\n

Mo Salah doubles the Reds\u2019 lead inside six minutes!<\/p>\n

\ud83d\udcfa @tntsports<\/a> & @discoveryplusUK<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/IokQaV9Zf3<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) September 17, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n

MARESCA ON PALMER\u2019S FITNESS<\/p>\n

Another premium FPL midfielder was simultaneously starring in Munich.<\/p>\n

Palmer followed up his goal off the bench in Gameweek 4 with another fine strike in the Allianz Arena, finishing off a sweeping Chelsea move. He thought he had another, too, only for his well-taken 89th-minute effort to be ruled out for a narrow offside.<\/p>\n

A real threat in transition, he should have had an early assist too when Enzo took too long to get his shot away from close range.<\/p>\n

Chelsea\u2019s main, and only, outlet on the night, he was the stand-out performer when pretty much all other Blues outfielders were subdued.<\/p>\n

One Big Keith-sized word of warning, however: Palmer, who completed 90 minutes, was nursing his troublesome groin at the end of the match. Maresca said afterwards it wasn\u2019t an issue but it might be worth hanging on for Friday\u2019s pre-match presser just to get that prognosis rubber-stamped.<\/p>\n

\u201cCole, I think he\u2019s okay. I asked him at the end, he said that he\u2019s okay.\u201d \u2013 Enzo Maresca, speaking after full-time on Wednesday<\/p>\n

MARESCA ON ROTATION\"\"<\/p>\n

There\u2019s no shame in losing to Bayern away. It was a deserved loss, it has to be said, but the Blues had their occasional moments, and Manchester United are a far less formidable proposition than the Bavarian giants.<\/p>\n

Indeed, in a Gameweek of hard-to-call matches, you could argue that Chelsea have one of the more favourable fixtures.<\/p>\n

But as we saw in Gameweek 4, the rotation a-cometh.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a bit different from last year, when Maresca fielded his B team in the UEFA Conference League. This time, the regulars are being asked to play in midweek.<\/p>\n

Speaking ahead of the Bayern game, Maresca promised rotation \u2013 even in goal, where Robert Sanchez (\u00a35.0m) had a good game on Wednesday.<\/p>\n

\u201cTomorrow, Robert [Sanchez] will start, but for sure with the amount of games that we have, Filip [Jorgensen] is going to play games in the Premier League, in the Champions League, in the FA Cup, in the Carabao. We have so many games that, for sure, Robert cannot play all of them.\u201d \u2013 Enzo Maresca, speaking on Tuesday<\/p>\n

\u201cIt helps a lot if you are able to rotate players, especially probably at the beginning of the season. Okay, you can probably go with the same [ones but] it is a long season, many games, so I think you have to do that because you are also saving players, avoiding injury. But it is something that is dictated game by game. It is not something that you can plan because probably you plan something and then any problem or any injury is not possible. We are going to try to rotate players knowing that, as you said, the Champions League is a bit different from last season\u2019s competition.\u201d \u2013 Enzo Maresca, speaking on Tuesday<\/p>\n

Next Tuesday\u2019s League Cup third round tie against Lincoln City is, of course, a great opportunity in which to rest some of the regulars.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>