Liverpool, currently in second place in the Premier League table, a point behind leaders Arsenal, were held to a draw at Anfield on Christmas Day. Mohamed Salah, however, showed his elite mentality by expressing his dissatisfaction over not securing a win.
Jürgen Klopp, Liverpool’s manager, was left in disbelief when his team didn’t secure a penalty against Arsenal when Martin Ødegaard handled the ball in the area. And Salah has advised his teammates that they cannot afford to lose more points if they hope to stay competitive in the Premier League title race.
In the thrilling encounter between the two teams, Salah scored the equalizing goal after Gabriel’s initial strike. The Reds could have clinched victory if Trent Alexander-Arnold’s shot had been slightly lower, as it hit the crossbar.
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The draw wasn’t the worst outcome for Liverpool, considering they were behind Mikel Arteta’s team initially. However, it does mean that Liverpool has lost four points in its last two matches, including a disappointing 0-0 draw against Manchester United the previous weekend.
Liverpool is no stranger when it comes to knowing how crucial every point can be in deciding the title race, having narrowly missed out on the championship twice before to Manchester City on the final day. Salah has emphasized to his teammates that they need to maximize their points from their remaining games if they hope to hoist the trophy in May.
After Liverpool’s draw with Arsenal, Salah took to social media on Christmas Eve to express his thoughts. The Egyptian forward stated: “We know we can’t keep dropping points like this and we will keep fighting to do better.”
This sentiment was echoed by Liverpool’s captain Virgil van Dijk who reassured fans that Liverpool would continue challenging for the title throughout the remainder of the season. “City are a very good team as well but Arsenal will be up there,” he said. “We hope to be up there — we will really push them.”
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A significant setback for Liverpool could be Salah’s absence for several weeks in January as he represents Egypt in the Africa Cup of Nations. The 31-year-old will leave to join his national team after Liverpool’s match against Newcastle on New Year’s Day and could potentially miss around seven games across all competitions if Egypt makes it to the final.
Salah will certainly miss the FA Cup third-round match against Arsenal on January 7, as well as both legs of the Carabao Cup semi-final with Fulham. If Egypt fails to advance beyond the group stage, Salah could return having only missed the away game against Bournemouth in the Premier League.
However, if Egypt progresses, Salah might also miss the home game against Chelsea, the away game against Arsenal — which could significantly impact the title race in May — and the match against Burnley, who are also Liverpool’s Boxing Day opponents.
Liverpool.com says: The best Christmas present that Liverpool could get would be three points against Burnley at Turf Moor. That game will not be an easy one and the Reds will have to battle, but if they want to prove their title credentials, getting the win will be vital. However that is achieved, it simply has to be the result against Vincent Kompany’s relegation-threatened side.
* An AI tool was used to add an extra layer to the editing process for this story. Read the original story from the Daily Mirror here.
