2 weeks ago
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Liverpool needs to get Mohamed Salah firing again quickly to escape the rut that Arne Slot's side finds itself in at the moment, but the Reds are not out of the Premier League title picture just yet.
That is the view of former striker Emile Heskey, who believes that while Arsenal is now the favorite to lift the league title in May, Salah getting back to his best could still make the difference in closing the gap.
"Salah is a worry because there is such a dramatic difference to what we're used to with him," Heskey told Liverpool.com. "But even last season, I don't think he particularly played well. He scored a lot of goals but I don't think he played well.
"With Mo, he is not a Sadio Mane where if you don't get the goals then you get the tenacity and the fight and the other things. With Mo, you get the goals; with Mane, you got everything.
"At this moment in time, when he isn't scoring, what is he giving you? That's the problem. With Mo and certain forwards, they always have a tendency to score at a critical point, so how long do you leave him on?
"I think the whole squad is missing Trent Alexander-Arnold. You have got to look at what he brought and his ability to create a chance as well. When it comes to that, yes they're missing him — but you can't rely on one player to bring a performance out of you."
In addition to getting Salah and Alexander Isak back on track, Liverpool also needs to find a way of tightening up at the back (though starting to score again would at least paper over some cracks in the meantime).
"At this moment in time, Liverpool look all over the place defensively," Heskey, speaking on behalf of BetBrain, continued. "When you look at Arsenal's center-backs, they've been the best pairing in the Premier League for however long.
"They're really solid, and defending is an art that we need to bring back. We need that passion to want to defend. Gabriel, especially, wants to defend, and that is his thing. I think we're losing that a little bit.
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"I come from an era where defending was all about fighting and tackling and wanting clean sheets. The joys of winning a header and being booted in the head — we're losing that a little bit. If you have a bit of that, that is a foundation for greater things.
"Liverpool are still in the Premier League title conversation, but they have thrown away an opportunity to really stake a claim that they are the ones.
"You say Arsenal but don't sleep on Manchester City as well. When the pressure is on, who can hold their nerve?
"We've seen points dropped, so you never know — but you have to put Arsenal top of the pile at this moment in time, especially with the way that they are playing and the structure that they have."
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