![\"Mohamed](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/1_GettyImages-2235435949.jpg\")
Mohamed Salah and Arne Slot have had a frustrating start to the season(Image: Richard Martin-Roberts – CameraSport via Getty Images)<\/p>\nIt’s been far from the start to the season reigning Premier League champions Liverpool would’ve been hoping for with Arne Slot tasked with turning the ship around<\/p>\n
Fasika Zelealem Senior Sports Reporter <\/p>\n
05:30, 02 Nov 2025<\/p>\n
Mohamed Salah and Arne Slot have had a frustrating start to the season(Image: Richard Martin-Roberts – CameraSport via Getty Images)<\/p>\n
Liverpool have continued to contend with criticism this week following their tough start to the season. The reigning league champions<\/a> endured a horror October that saw them fall to four defeats across all competitions.<\/p>\n Arne Slot’s side are already down to three competitions following their 3-0 home loss to Crystal Palace<\/a>, which saw the Reds boss make wholesale changes to his squad. That defeat certainly hasn’t helped speculation surrounding his future.<\/p>\n Mohamed Salah’s surprisingly below-par performances have led to the Egyptian facing unprecedented scrutiny from media in what could be his penultimate season at Anfield after signing a two-year deal earlier this year<\/a>.<\/p>\n Mirror Football now takes a look at some of the latest news coming out of Anfield, with Slot handed a transfer hint over a key target, a former Red claiming Mohamed Salah’s decline has already long been happening, while Florian Wirtz is told his absence from the starting line-up could be a positive.<\/p>\n Marc Guehi’s January exit unlikely<\/p>\n Liverpool’s defensive issues would perhaps have been solved, or at least helped, if Marc Guehi’s deadline day transfer didn’t collapse. While a deal in the range of \u00a335million had been agreed for Guehi’s move to Anfield, Igor Julio’s rejection of Crystal Palace<\/a> in order to join West Ham<\/a> saw the Eagles pull the plug.<\/p>\n READ MORE: Alan Shearer tears into Liverpool stars as Arne Slot decision slammed – ‘Alarm bells’<\/a>READ MORE: Liverpool and Man Utd receive message from \u00a375m transfer target \u2013 ‘I’m glad’<\/a><\/p>\n It was last month that Oliver Glasner<\/a> confirmed that the Palace captain would depart the club next summer upon the expiration of his contract. The admission no doubt saw rumours float about a potential January exit for Guehi in what would be Palace’s last chance to capture a transfer fee for the prized possession.<\/p>\n That, however, was seemingly shut down by Palace chairman Steve Parish, who hinted the England defender will not be leaving Selhurt Park in the winter transfer window. In an interview with Men in Blazers<\/a>, he said: “We needed to keep Marc because the difference between us having a stellar season and having a relegation-threatened season is us winning five games or not.<\/p>\n “So the margins in the Premier League<\/a> are very tight and you have to remember that Michael [Olise] has gone, we\u2019re OK, Ebbs [Eberechi Eze] has gone, we\u2019re OK, Wilfried [Zaha] went, we\u2019re OK. There\u2019s a limit to how much you can keep doing that before you break down the fabric of the team.”<\/p>\n Discussing the last-minute breakdown of Guehi’s Liverpool move, Parish showered praise on his captain’s character in the face of missing out on a significant transfer. “It was a very marginal call,” the businessman explained.<\/p>\n “Marc was great about it as a person. Liverpool<\/a> made the offer. It was a massive club, he was obviously interested in going. But he was fine about it, staying, if that was the decision we made. Obviously it means all of the ball is in his court tremendously as a player and he\u2019s got the choice of wherever he wants to go. It was a very difficult one but I think definitely the right one.”<\/p>\n Salah continuing to decline<\/p>\n It’s certainly been a strange start to the season for the Reds and especially Salah, who has taken the league by storm every year since his Anfield arrival in 2017. The decline of his goals and assists has not only negatively impacted the club’s fortunes on the pitch, but has also looked to have caused a major drop in his confidence.<\/p>\n While he did score a stunner in the Reds’ 3-2 loss to Brentford, his overall performance was uninspiring yet again and perhaps a reminder that Salah is 33 years old and can’t remain at the top echelon of the sport forever.<\/p>\n It was ex-Liverpool star in Emile Heskey who suggested Salah’s decline has been going on for three seasons, despite recording a record-breaking season last year of 34 goals and 23 assists. The former England striker told 10bet Casino: “I think it\u2019s a bit of both. Yes he\u2019s out of form, but there\u2019s some decline that is inevitable as you get older, too.<\/p>\n “Anyone who is in their 30s, you start to see a bit of a decline. It won’t be massive, because he\u2019s such a professional, and he looks after himself very well. I think for me, this isn\u2019t anything new. It\u2019s not sudden, it\u2019s been going on for two or three seasons.<\/p>\n “There have been games where he hasn\u2019t done well for the most part, but he\u2019s scored a goal and we overlook the rest of the performance. Whether it\u2019s one or two goals, just a penalty, or a tap-in at the end of the game. We forget about the game because of the goal.<\/p>\n “Now, we\u2019re in a position where for the most recent period, he hasn\u2019t scored goals, and he hasn\u2019t contributed. Now we point the finger at him, and it isn\u2019t a new phenomenon. Mo, though, is interesting.<\/p>\n “He\u2019s one of those players that you never want to take off, because he always is a threat regardless of his form. That\u2019s the problem with him sometimes. It\u2019s difficult for a manager, because you always want to leave Mo Salah<\/a> on. He\u2019s a goal threat, but if he doesn\u2019t score, he can look anonymous, like you\u2019re playing with 10 men.”<\/p>\n Solution to Wirtz<\/p>\n Among many Liverpool issues, the form of Florian Wirtz has been one plaguing Slot throughout the season. The \u00a3100million man has yet to showcase the form that saw him become one of the world’s leading players at Bayer Leverkusen.<\/p>\n It was only in the Reds’ 5-1 win against Eintracht Frankfurt that the German finally recorded a goal contribution, aside from the assist he got for Hugo Ekitike’s goal in the Community Shield back in August. While Slot hasn’t shied away from benching Wirtz in games against Chelsea<\/a> and Manchester United<\/a>, Joe Cole believes it may be time for the Dutchman to hand Wirtz a prolonged period of time on the sidelines.<\/p>\n Speaking to Paddy Power<\/a>, the former Reds man cited the disjointedness of Liverpool’s midfield and said: “Yes, Florian Wirtz\u2019s signing has disrupted the Liverpool midfield, but not in a way that can be laid at Florian Wirtz’s feet. There’s no doubt he’s a top player.<\/p>\n “You don’t play number 10 for Germany, and win the league over in the Bundesliga, and produce what he did at Bayer Leverkusen, without being quality. We know he’s quality, and he’s shown it in flashes. Don’t lay the blame on the four players coming in, or the four players coming out, or the manager, it\u2019s just a collection of everything.”<\/p>\n Cole suggested reintroducing Wirtz into the starting line-up come January, but admitted it’ll be an incredibly tough call for Slot to make given how much of the summer’s expenditure was spent on the German’s arrival.<\/p>\n \u201cIn hindsight, if Liverpool could do a restart of the season, they’d have probably put one or two players into the team, and we’ll keep with what we’re doing, and just gradually change it, and by January, you’ll start looking to get Wirtz into the squad, into the team regularly, giving the time to come off the bench,” he explained.<\/p>\n “It’s all well saying that, but Slot trying to explain to the owners who just bought you a \u00a3100 million player while he’s on the bench is going to be a difficult sell. It’s a collection of about three or four different things, but Wirtz is a quality player.”<\/p>\n Join our new WhatsApp community<\/a> and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.<\/a><\/p>\n Sky Sports discounted Premier League and EFL package<\/p>\n This article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. Learn more<\/a> \u00a343<\/p>\n \u00a335<\/p>\n Sky<\/p>\n![\"Marc](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/1_GettyImages-2242533996.jpg\")
Marc Guehi is set to leave Crystal Palace next summer(Image: Getty Images)<\/p>\n![\"Mo](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/1_Chelsea-v-Liverpool-Premier-League.jpg\")
It’s been a surprisingly poor start to the season for Mohamed Salah(Image: Getty Images)<\/p>\n![\"Florian](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/2_Brentford-v-Liverpool-Premier-League-Gtech-Community-Stadium.jpg\")
Florian Wirtz has yet to score for Liverpool(Image: PA)<\/p>\n![\"Content](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/1759200973_279_0_Sky-Factbox.jpg\")
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