The season’s dying matches are ending in a conundrum for Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool. Stumbling constantly in a journey to clinch its second Premier League title, the club has once again dropped two points after drawing West Ham United 2-2. But a new concern has emerged for the Reds, with Mohamed Salah seen having a feud with coach Jurgen Klopp during the game. But how serious was the issue, and what was Salah’s final reaction?
Meanwhile, the player and the manager were caught exchanging some intense moments in footage around the 82nd minute. Commentators claimed that this happened just before West Ham equalized. Even though it isn’t clear what their conversation was, reports now suggest that the Egyptian winger walked away directly into the tunnel after the match ended. Additionally, while Salah was getting animated during the fallout, strikers Darwin Nunez and Joe Gomez had to cool down the situation.
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Mo and Jurgen having a go at each other is not how we wanted this to end.
Mo then runs straight down the tunnel at full time. pic.twitter.com/CDjgisZ0es
— The Anfield Talk (@TheAnfieldTalk) April 27, 2024
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Surprisingly, the Egyptian national team skipper did not feature in the starting eleven of the game. Salah remains Jurgen Klopp’s top player this season, scoring 17 goals in the league. But his recent form has been a bit of a concern. Salah suffered a hamstring injury earlier this year and subsequently underwent muscular issues that sidelined him for a few games. He was also benched for two matches before this and went blank in his last four Premier League outings.
This may have resulted in the German coach starting Cody Gakpo in the eleventh and playing Harvey Elliott in Salah’s usual position. However, during the 79th minute, the 31-year-old was asked to enter the pitch, calling striker Darwin Nunez out.
Klopp and Mohamed Salah speak out about the feud amid a tense season
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Meanwhile, both parties have given their take on the issue. Klopp claimed that dust had settled at his side after their conversation in the dressing room. Not elaborating any further about the matter, he said, “But we spoke already in the dressing room. For me, that’s done.” On the other hand, Salah stated, “There is going to be fire today if I speak,” refuting to make additional comments. Nevertheless, Mohamed Salah’s significance would not be questioned as Liverpool look to salvage the lost point in the last three games.
The previous losses to Everton and Crystal Palace and the draw against West Ham mean that leaders Arsenal are two points ahead with a game in hand. In addition, Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City area is ahead with two more games than Liverpool. With such a daunting task ahead, Can Liverpool afford to sideline Salah? The club will play #5 and #4 in their next two, and only time will decide whether the other results go their way or not.