Liverpool's Champions League Battle: Salah and Slot on the Same Page

Arne Slot insisted he and Mohamed Salah are still pulling in the same direction, even as Liverpool’s season reaches a fraught final act and their star forward publicly questions the team’s identity.

Speaking on Friday ahead of Sunday’s decisive home game against Brentford, the Liverpool manager backed Salah’s right to speak his mind after the Egyptian used social media to urge the club to rediscover the attacking edge that once terrified opponents.

“Mo and I have the same interests, we want the best for this club, we want it to be as successful as possible,” Slot said. “We were both part of giving our fans their first title for five years, but we are also aware we haven't brought that same level this season.”

Salah, third on Liverpool’s all-time scoring list, had posted on X in the wake of the 4-2 defeat at Aston Villa, a damaging result that left Champions League qualification in doubt. He highlighted the inconsistency that has dogged the campaign and called for a return to the aggressive, front-foot style that underpinned the glory years under former manager Juergen Klopp.

The comments could easily have lit a fire under an already tense run-in. Slot, though, played down any notion of a rift or distraction.

“I don’t think it is important what I feel, what is important is we qualify for the Champions League on Sunday,” he said. “So I prepare Mo and the whole of the team in the best possible way, that is what matters.”

He was far less open on one subject: whether Salah, who is leaving Liverpool at the end of the season, will actually play in what would be his final Anfield appearance in red.

“I never say anything about team selection, so it would be a surprise to you if I did that right now,” Slot replied, refusing to be drawn on whether the club icon will feature against Brentford.

The stakes are brutally clear. Liverpool sit fifth on 59 points, three ahead of Bournemouth in sixth and with a six-goal cushion on goal difference. One Champions League spot remains on offer. Beat Brentford and they cannot be caught. Drop points and the door swings open.

Slot admitted the Villa defeat cut deep.

“I was very disappointed after our loss against Villa, as a win would've given us Champions League qualification, and now there is one game to go and it is vital for us as a club,” he said.

On the training ground, he insisted, Salah’s criticism has not thrown preparations off course. The Dutchman described a focused group, aware that one strong performance can salvage a season that has fallen short of last year’s standards but still offers a route back into Europe’s elite.

There was at least one piece of unqualified good news. Goalkeeper Alisson Becker, out since mid-March with a hamstring injury, returned to training on Friday and is expected to be available for the finale, Slot confirmed. The Brazil international’s presence would bring authority and calm to a back line that wobbled badly at Villa Park.

Slot framed Sunday as more than a simple end point. Secure Champions League football and Liverpool not only rescue their immediate objectives, they also hand their new era a platform.

“What we and I want is for the club to be as successful as last season,” he said. “And that is where my main focus is on now because the game on Sunday could give us a really good base for next season.”

One game, one place in the Champions League, and possibly one last Anfield outing for Mohamed Salah. Liverpool’s future shape will be clearer by Sunday night.