Mohamed Salah has hit an unwanted new Premier League “first” after the Nottingham Forest match. He has now gone nine league games without a goal, the longest drought of his Premier League career, and his performance at the City Ground did not suggest he is close to snapping it.

Liverpool still got the win thanks to Alexis Mac Allister’s stoppage time strike, but Salah looked short of his usual sharpness. He struggled to take control of key moments, and one promising break ended with Neco Williams recovering to stop what once would have been a trademark Salah burst into space.

The frustration grew when he was substituted late on. Cameras caught him reacting on the bench, and some fans online questioned his body language, arguing the decision was fully justified given how ineffective he had been.

At this stage, it is hard to frame this as a simple dip. Salah is 33 going on 34, and the decline in explosiveness could be natural regression rather than temporary form. That is why the Al Ittihad links will not disappear, and why Liverpool may have to seriously consider a summer sale while his value remains high.

The bigger question is what Liverpool would do next. If Salah leaves, Slot can either invest heavily in a top winger or reshape the attack, especially with Alexander Isak expected back, Hugo Ekitike already leading the line, and the full backs providing width.

For now, Liverpool need Salah to rediscover end product quickly. Nine games without a league goal is no longer a quiet run. It is a storyline that will define the rest of his season and could shape Liverpool’s summer.