Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah said he had been “thrown under the bus” as he tore into the club over his treatment and signalled a potential exit after watching from the bench as they were held to a 3-3 Premier League draw with Leeds United on Saturday.

In his incendiary post-match comments, the 33-year-old Egyptian lashed out at the club and coach Arne Slot, telling journalists he felt he had been scapegoated for their poor start to the season and suggesting that he may not have long left at Anfield.

“I’m very, very disappointed to be fair. I have done so much for this club, everybody can see that during the years and especially last season,” Salah told reporters in the post-match mixed zone before taking aim at the club’s leadership.

“I don’t know, it seems like the club is throwing me under the bus. That’s how I felt it, how I feel it.

“I think it’s very clear that someone wants me to get all the blame. The club promised me in the summer, a lot of promises and nothing so far.”

The Egyptian, who signed a two-year contract extension in April, has become an iconic figure in an eight-year spell at Liverpool in which he has won two Premier League titles and scored 250 goals in all competitions for the club.

Yet after an indifferent start to the season, he has begun the last three matches on the bench, playing only 45 minutes.

Liverpool visit Inter Milan in the Champions League on Tuesday before hosting Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday, two games that may herald the end of Salah’s time on Merseyside.

“I called my mum and dad yesterday, I told them to come to Brighton game, it doesn’t matter if I play or not. I’m going to enjoy it. We’ll see what’s going to happen, but in my head, I’m going to enjoy that game, if I play it or not, if I’m on the bench or not,” Salah, who is going to the Africa Cup of Nations with Egypt on December 15, said.

“I don’t know what’s going to happen now, so I’m just going to be in Anfield, say goodbye to the fans (before) going to Africa Cup (of Nations), because I don’t know what’s going to happen when I’m there.”

‘WE NEEDED DIFFERENT PLAYERS’

Speaking after the draw, Slot said he had left Salah on the bench because he felt the team needed something different.

“We were 2-0 up, we were 3-2 up. At that moment in time it was more about controlling the game and we didn’t need a goal at that moment in time,” he said.

“Normally when you need a goal, like last week against Sunderland, I brought Mo on. We needed different players like Wataru (Endo) when we needed to bring the win over the line, he (Endo) gave everything.

“We have to accept the situation we are in. The short-term future of Mo is that he is going to the Africa Cup of Nations, but before that we play Inter Milan,” he concluded.

Salah scored 34 goals and had 18 assists in 52 games across all competitions as Liverpool won the Premier League last season, but with his side floundering, he has managed five goals and three assists in 19 games in the current campaign.

The forward indicated that his relationship with Slot had broken down completely.

“I had a good relationship with the manager, and all of a sudden we don’t have any relationship. I don’t know why, it seems to me, how I see it, someone doesn’t want me in the club,” he said.

Since joining Liverpool from AS Roma in 2017, Salah has become the club’s third-highest scorer behind Ian Rush and Roger Hunt.

“I don’t think I’m the problem. I have done so much for this club with the respect I want to get,” he said. “And I don’t have to go every day fighting for my position because I’ve earned it.”

-Reuters

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Liverpool finally halted their dreadful losing run with a 2-0 Premier League victory over Aston Villa on Saturday to climb provisionally into third place in the table, as Mohamed Salah became the third player in Reds history to score 250 goals.

Under mounting pressure after four successive league losses — and six in their last seven games across all competitions — Arne Slot’s men climbed to within seven points of league leaders Arsenal with 18 points.

“I think everyone who was here today felt the importance of the game, the players and fans as well,” Slot told TNT Sports. “We showed character and won the game.”

Salah, who has been criticised for his slow start to the season, struck in first-half injury time, capitalising on a huge blunder from Villa goalkeeper Emi Martinez who played the ball right into the path of Liverpool’s talisman.

Salah finished first time to the relief of the anxious Anfield crowd, and joined Roger Hunt and Ian Rush as the only players to score 250 goals for the Merseyside club.

Ryan Gravenberch, in his first game after missing three with an ankle injury, doubled the home side’s lead in the 58th minute when he blasted a shot from the top of the box that deflected off Pau Torres and in past Martinez.

Slot punched the air in delight as the home fans serenaded the manager.

The crowd chanted “Champions! Champions!” when the final whistle sounded to end what had been the longest current losing run in the league.

“It’s very important,” Salah told TNT of the win. “We’ve had a few losses in the Premier League and Champions League. I’m glad we are back on track now, and it’s a big push before some important games.”

The win comes ahead of a challenging stretch, with Liverpool hosting LaLiga giants Real Madrid in the Champions League on Tuesday before facing Manchester City in a league game at Etihad Stadium on November 9.

Villa started brightly on Saturday with Morgan Rogers firing a shot off the post five minutes into the game, and then Matty Cash forcing a stunning diving save from Giorgi Mamardashvili who tipped the ball over the bar early on.

But Liverpool grew into the game and summer signing Hugo Ekitike, already a big fan favourite at Anfield, celebrated what he thought was Liverpool’s first goal of the night late in the first half when he headed home Dominik Szoboszlai’s cross. The goal was ruled offside.

Liverpool finished with 16 shots to Villa’s nine.

Slot’s captain Virgil van Dijk admitted it had not been easy to tune out the negative noise during their run of poor performances.

“We’re not going out on the pitch to lose games, we’re not going out there to be disappointed or leave fans disappointed,” he said. “We want to work our socks off and win games.

“There’s no guarantee, you play in the Premier League, the highest level, in the biggest league in the world, and it’s difficult to stay calm — but you have to.”

Villa’s loss ended a four-game winning streak, and saw them fall to 11th place

“We can feel a bit disappointed but we played the match like we planned,” said Villa boss Unai Emery. “(Liverpool) were playing at home and they needed to react (after a string of losses), and they reacted.”

-Reuters

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Liverpool’s hold on their Premier League title continued to weaken as they went down 3-2 at Brentford on Saturday, their fourth successive league defeat leaving them sixth in the table.

Manchester United climbed up to fourth with a roller-coaster 4-2 home win over Brighton & Hove Albion while promoted Sunderland are in dreamland after a 2-1 win at Chelsea lifted them to second place.

Newcastle United sealed a late 2-1 victory at home to Fulham thanks to an 89th-minute goal by Bruno Guimaraes.

Liverpool, who appeared to have emerged from their slump with a 5-1 Champions League win at Eintracht Frankfurt on Wednesday, suffered more misery in London after recent defeats at Crystal Palace and Chelsea.

They have lost four league games in a row for the first time since 2021 and could find themselves seven points behind leaders Arsenal if they beat Crystal Palace on Sunday.

“What I have to do is look at what we do wrong and what we do right. I have a clear idea of where we have to improve but that hasn’t been the case in other games,” Liverpool manager Arne Slot said. “We didn’t do the basics right today.”

Dango Ouattara volleyed Brentford in front following a long throw-in by Michael Kayode was flicked on and Kevin Schade went through to make it 2-0 in the 45th minute.

Milos Kerkez replied for the visitors in first-half stoppage time with his first Liverpool goal from Conor Bradley’s cross.

But Igor Thiago restored Brentford’s two-goal advantage from the penalty spot and although Mohamed Salah gave Liverpool hope with a clinical finish, they could not force an equaliser in 10 minutes of stoppage time.

MAN UNITED EARN THIRD LEAGUE WIN IN A ROW

Manchester United are beginning to show signs of consistency, with Matheus Cunha, Casemiro and a Bryan Mbeumo double helping them secure a third successive league win for the first time since Februsry 2024.

Cunha arrowed home a sublime 24th-minute strike into the bottom corner and Casemiro doubled the lead 10 minutes later with a deflected shot before Mbeumo’s well-taken third put the hosts in complete command.

Danny Welbeck pulled one back for Brighton with a free kick, however, before Charalampos Kostoulas’s stoppage-time header ensured a nervy finish.

With Brighton committing everyone forward in search of the equaliser, however, Mbeumo fired a fine strike into the roof of the net to confirm United’s win.

“I enjoy it a lot here,” Mbeumo told Sky Sports. “It hasn’t been easy at the start. It’s a new environment, a new expectation but I think with the link up with the team, everything is going the right way.”

TALBI’S LATE SUNDERLAND WINNER

Sunderland shocked Chelsea when substitute Chemsdine Talbi curled in a winner deep into stoppage time.

The visitors had gone behind in the fourth minute when Alejandro Garnacho claimed his first goal for the London side, but the lead was cancelled out by Wilson Isidor in the 22nd minute.

The game appeared to be heading for a draw until Talbi collected a pass from fellow substitute Brian Brobbey and placed his low shot perfectly to grab his first goal for Sunderland.

“It’s a good performance, especially after the early goal,” Sunderland coach Regis Le Bris said. “We won three points. We are happy with the way we played. It is important to grab this opportunity when possible.”

Chelsea’s loss left them eighth in the table.

Newcastle were heading for a frustrating draw before captain Guimaraes scored at the death. William Osula drove to the edge of the box, but his shot was parried into the path of the Brazilian who poked the ball home from close range.

Jacob Murphy had scored for the Magpies in the 18th minute, before Sasa Lukic levelled after halftime.

“Late goals don’t just affect the game you’ve won, they affect mood and belief going forward,” Newcastle manager Eddie Howe said.

“It can have a big knock-on effect. We’ve had heartbreak the other way. This felt like a massive moment for us. We found a way to win.”

Newcastle climbed to 11th in the table and Fulham fell to 16th. Brentford are 10th.

-Reuters

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