Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah was seen arguing with his manager Jurgen Klopp, moments before he came off the bench during the clash with West Ham at the London Stadium
Mohammed Salah and Jurgen Klopp were embroiled in a furious touchline row when Liverpool conceded their second goal against West Ham United.
The Egypt forward was about to come on as part of a triple substitution as Liverpool sought to keep their slim Premier League title hopes alive.
But when Michail Antonio headed home Jarrod Bowen’s cross to make it 2-2, TV cameras picked up Salah and Klopp exchanging angry words with one another.
Darwin Nunez, who was also coming on as part of the triple change, was then seen intervening – stretching an arm out in an attempt to diffuse Salah. The row seems to have been spurned from a delay in the substitutions being made.
Salah eventually entered the fray with 11 minutes of the game remaining. Bowen had put West Ham in front near the end of a low quality first half before Andy Robertson regained parity for the Reds.
And Liverpool, who had made five changes from the midweek Merseyside derby defeat at Everton, went in front when Cody Gakpo’s shot took three deflections off Hammers players before ending up in the net.
Klopp – for the second time – in three games had opted to start with Salah on the bench, with his form coming under heavy scrutiny in recent weeks. Speaking after the defeat at Everton, Kop legend Jamie Carragher had admitted that for the first time, Salah’s future should come into question.
“There is a real discussion for the new manager about what the future holds for Mo Salah – it’s the first time we’ve asked that question. He only has a year to go on his contract,” Jamie Carragher said on Sky Sports after the Merseyside Derby.
“He’s looked a shadow of himself for a lot of this season but especially since he’s come back from injury. He is Liverpool’s legend, superstar, one of the all-time greats. But he’s been so far off it.”
Klopp defended Salah after Liverpool were knocked out of the Europa League by Atalanta. “I am not particularly concerned,” Klopp told reporters when asked about Salah’s form.
“That’s what strikers do, that’s what happens to strikers, that’s how it is. We have to go through this, he has to go through that. He is one of the most experienced players we have in the squad. We will go through that but that’s pretty much all.
“It’s not that Mo [Salah] didn’t miss chances before in his life, that’s a part of the game. The penalty was super-convincing, a super penalty, then the next chance, that was obviously unlucky but it is not the first time he missed a chance like that.”
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