ONE TOUCH SUMMARY
- Arne Slot fumed over Manchester United's second goal, claiming Benjamin Sesko handled before scoring.
- Liverpool lost 3-2 at Old Trafford without injured Mohamed Salah, Hugo Ekitiké and Alexander Isak.
- Brentford's Josh Dasilva enjoyed an emotional return as his side beat West Ham 3-0.
ONE TOUCH INSIGHT
Slot can argue the curl on Sesko's ball all he likes. PGMO's own line — no conclusive evidence the striker handled before scoring — settles the goal; it doesn't explain why Liverpool offered nothing in the opposition half for 45 minutes. United's movement pulled them apart, and without Salah, Ekitiké and Isak the threat was nonexistent until two errors handed a route back in. This defeat came from the anaemic first half, and Slot knows it.
That is the gap between his complaint and Arteta's weekend: one manager made a call against Fulham and got a 3-0 for it, the other reached for the decision because the performance didn't hold. A side can lose a decision and still lose the match on its own terms.
Availability is the lever. Whether Salah, Ekitiké and Isak are fit for Liverpool's next league fixture decides whether that first-half shape repeats itself, or whether Slot has an attack to argue about something other than handball.
WHY IT MATTERS
The weekend exposed how quickly Liverpool's attacking threat collapses without Mohamed Salah, and Slot's focus on officiating risks masking a first-half performance that left his side with too much to recover.
Mohamed Salah
RW
Egypt
Strengths
- ✓Elite right-sided goal threat
- ✓Acceleration in behind defences
- ✓Relentless pressing and work rate
- ✓Proven Premier League output over many seasons
- ⚠How quickly can he regain sharpness after this injury layoff?
- ⚠Does his age and injury record raise durability concerns?
TACTICAL FIT
Salah's absence strips Liverpool of their right-sided outlet, forcing a disjointed attack that only threatened once United erred. His return restores the width and running that Slot's pressing structure depends on.
THE DEBATE
Is Liverpool's slump down to Salah's absence or Slot's excuses?
AI-assisted · generated from The Guardian reporting, not editor reviewed
