Why I benched Salah against West Ham - Liverpool boss defends decision after win

Arne Slot left Mohamed Salah out of his starting lineup for the 2-0 win over West Ham at the London Stadium, a decision that raised eyebrows.

The reigning English champions were on a dismal run of form, losing 9 out of their previous 12 games across all competitions.

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After a summer transfer window that saw the club spend nearly £500 million on new players, expectations were high for another season of domestic dominance under Slot. However, the campaign has unfolded in a starkly different manner.

Salah's individual performance has notably declined during this slump, but Slot insisted that dropping the Egyptian international was a routine squad rotation decision.

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"We have more players on the bench than just Mo, but I can understand why you ask about that," Slot told Sky Sports. "We have played four games in 10 days, and I have many good players, as you know. For today, I chose a different lineup."

"Sometimes Alex has been on the bench, and sometimes Florian," he added. "It’s always about who is on the bench, which I understand, but it’s also about the players that start. This is the XI I chose today."

In total, Slot made four changes from the team that played on Wednesday night. Florian Wirtz returned from a brief injury, and Joe Gomez was selected at right-back.

Liverpool went on to win comfortably, justifying Slot's decision to bench the 33-year-old Egyptian. Alexander Isak scored his first Premier League goal for the club, and Cody Gakpo secured the points late in the second half.