Leeds, December 7, 2025 – In a bombshell post-match interview that has sent shockwaves through Anfield and the Premier League, Mohamed Salah unleashed his frustration at Liverpool FC, accusing the club of "throwing him under the bus" and making him the scapegoat for their dismal title defense. The 33-year-old Egyptian forward, benched for the third consecutive league game during Saturday's chaotic 3-3 draw against newly promoted Leeds United at Elland Road, hinted at a potential January exit, casting severe doubt over his long-term future at the club he has transformed into a global powerhouse.
The drama unfolded after a match that epitomized Liverpool's season-long woes: a thrilling yet infuriating affair where the Reds squandered a 2-0 lead and a 3-2 advantage, conceding a 96th-minute equalizer from Leeds substitute Tanaka Tanaka to extend their winless run in all competitions to five games. Salah, an unused substitute for the full 90 minutes, watched from the sidelines as Cody Gakpo and Darwin Núñez flickered but ultimately failed to ignite the attack, while defensive lapses from Ibrahima Konaté and Ryan Gravenberch allowed Leeds to claw back twice.
This result leaves Liverpool languishing in eighth place in the Premier League table with just 23 points from 15 matches—eight points adrift of the top four and a staggering 17 behind leaders Arsenal—having secured maximum points in only two of their last 10 league outings. It is a far cry from last season's triumphant campaign, where Liverpool clinched the title with a record-equaling 20th Premier League crown, powered by Salah's 29 goals and 18 assists.
Salah, who has netted 188 Premier League goals for Liverpool since his £36.9 million arrival from Roma in 2017, cut a forlorn figure as he addressed the media, his voice laced with disbelief and hurt. “I can’t believe that I’m sitting on the bench for 90 minutes! The third time on the bench, I think for the first time in my career,” he said. The benchings began with an unused sub role in the 2-0 win at West Ham on November 30, followed by a half-time introduction in the midweek 1-1 draw against Sunderland, and now this full omission against Leeds—decisions manager Arne Slot justified as tactical necessities to “control the game” and manage squad rotation amid a grueling schedule.
Yet to Salah, it feels personal. “I’m very, very disappointed to be fair. I have done so much for this club down the years and especially last season. Now I’m sitting on the bench and I don’t know why.”
The forward’s ire extends beyond the selections, zeroing in on what he perceives as broken assurances from the club hierarchy. Just eight months ago, in April 2025, Salah penned a lucrative two-year contract extension—securing his stay until 2027 with a reported base salary of £350,000 per week, potentially rising to £500,000 via performance bonuses—ending months of speculation linking him to Saudi Pro League giants like Al-Ittihad. At the time, new manager Slot hailed the deal as a “massive boost,” praising Salah’s “dedication” and challenging him to “reach perfection.” But now Salah claims those commitments have evaporated.
“It seems like the club has thrown me under the bus. That’s how I am feeling. I think it is very clear that someone wanted me to get all of the blame. I got a lot of promises in the summer and so far I am in the bench for three games so I can’t say they keep the promise.”
Salah didn’t spare Slot in his tirade, revealing a fractured relationship that has deteriorated from cordial to nonexistent. “I said many times before that I had a good relationship with the manager and all of a sudden, we don’t have any relationship. I don’t know why, but it seems to me, how I see it, that someone doesn’t want me in the club,” he lamented.
Despite the acrimony, Salah reaffirmed his unbreakable bond with Liverpool and its fervent supporters. “This club, I always support it. My kids will always support it. I love the club so much. I will always do,” he insisted, even inviting his mother to the December 13 home clash with Brighton & Hove Albion. “I called my mum yesterday… come to the Brighton game… I don’t know if I am going to play or not, but I am going to enjoy it. In my head, I’m going to enjoy that game because I don’t know what is going to happen now.”
With Africa Cup of Nations duties for Egypt looming from December 21 in Morocco—potentially sidelining him until mid-January and overlapping the transfer window—Salah dropped a poignant hint: “I will be in Anfield to say goodbye to the fans and go to Africa Cup of Nations. I don’t know what is going to happen when I am there.”
The fallout has been swift and polarized. Former Reds striker Stan Collymore labeled Salah’s remarks a product of the “cult of personalities” in modern football, while Chris Sutton decried them as “embarrassing and disrespectful” to teammates. On social media, reactions ranged from defensive fury to calls for unity, with thousands of fans pleading for reconciliation.
This saga underscores Liverpool’s broader crisis under Slot, who inherited a title-winning squad but has struggled to impose his philosophy amid injuries and a creativity drought. Eight major trophies into his Anfield tenure—including the 2019 Champions League, 2020 and 2025 Premier Leagues, and multiple domestic cups—Salah’s legacy is etched in red, yet his influence appears to be waning.
As the January window approaches, Liverpool face a pivotal crossroads: mend fences with their Egyptian King or risk a painful farewell that could derail their Champions League aspirations. For now, Anfield holds its breath, wondering if Saturday’s fireworks signal the end of an era.
