Softfootball understands that Trent Alexander-Arnold’s shocking move to Real Madrid back in May 2025 has quietly torn a hole in Liverpool’s attacking rhythm, and three-time PFA Player of the Year Mohamed Salah is clearly feeling it.
For years, that right flank was Liverpool’s heartbeat, and Trent was very pivotal as his 5.6 line-breaking passes per 90 minutes fed Salah in perfect sync, as the Englishman had diagonal balls cutting through tight defences like butter in his armoury.
Salah’s appreciation post via his official X account after winning the PFA Player of the Year award:
That understanding with Arnold wasn’t built overnight, as seven solid years of chemistry made Salah’s hybrid winger-striker role flourish. But now, with Trent gone, Liverpool have been forced to experiment. Jeremie Frimpong, Conor Bradley, and even Dominik Szoboszlai have all taken turns at right-back.
Yet none seem able to reproduce Alexander-Arnold’s precision. Szoboszlai, probably the most creative of the lot, manages only 3.5 such passes per 90, and Salah’s isolation has been obvious both in the defeat to Galatasaray in the UEFA Champions League and recently in the shameful Premier League defeat at the hands of a low-strength Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.
This season’s numbers tell their own story: 3 goals and 3 assists in 9 games in all competitions, a far cry from the 12 goals and 8 assists he racked up in the same stretch last term. Analysts and pundits have pinned much of the blame on Trent’s departure; even some fans are beginning to believe that narrative, but that’s not the whole picture.
On Liverpool’s official X account there are videos of Trent Alexander-Arnold and Mohamed Salah getting involved in goals.
Watch videos below:
Watch another video uploaded on the team’s X account:
Salah turned 33 in June, and time is catching up. His explosion, that persistent pressing, and even his keen edge have all diminished significantly. Slot’s high-press mechanism has also been difficult to adjust to. With multi-million dollar signings like Aleksander Isak, Florian Wirtz and Hugo Ekitike failing to mix in, as well as the grief of Diogo Jota’s passing, it’s evident that the entire attack is off balance.
The truth is, Salah’s decline started months before Trent’s move, but despite not being at full strength, the Egyptian was very pivotal in Liverpool’s run to the league title with 29 goals and 18 assists. However, with his strengths further dwindling, the cracks are beginning to show because Liverpool don’t have other alternatives to win games if Salah doesn’t turn up.
So yes, losing Trent Alexander-Arnold hurt. But Salah’s slump runs deeper: it’s tactical, emotional, and personal. Liverpool now face the challenge of rebuilding their rhythm with or without their once-perfect duo and turn to a bigger future with the new talents they have.
