Chelsea left back Marc Cucurella highlighted Mohamed Salah’s tendency to not track back as a weakness which his side successfully exploited in Saturday’s 2–1 victory over Liverpool.
Cucurella was the player who drilled a low cross along Liverpool’s box for Estêvão to bundle over the line in the 95th minute of an enthralling encounter at Stamford Bridge. The Spaniard had managed to deal with Salah for much of the contest inside Chelsea’s defensive third and took full advantage of the space vacated by the front-foot winger when bursting into the area to deliver the decisive pass.
“We always try to attack no matter the situation,” Cucurella explained to Sky Sports postgame. “The way they play, Salah is always ready to attack, so we knew that crosses could be an advantage. We won the game in this way today.”
Salah’s advanced positioning is not a question of laziness, but rather a measured risk. By keeping Liverpool’s perennial talisman pinned on the last line of the opposition’s rearguard, the Reds always have Salah as an outlet when launching rapid counterattacks. That tactic is a large reason why Liverpool racked up a league-leading 14 goals in transition on their way to last season’s Premier League title.
Limiting Salah’s workload off the ball also allows the 33-year-old to conserve his energy for bursts at the sharp end of the pitch. After Liverpool’s title was confirmed last April, Salah revealed how Arne Slot’s diminished demands helped him finish as the division’s top scorer following Jürgen Klopp’s exit.
“Now I don’t have to defend much,” Salah grinned. “The tactics are quite different. I said, ‘As long as you rest me defensively, I will provide offensively,’ so I am glad that [Slot] did. He listened a lot, and you can see the numbers.”
The numbers are not quite so flattering this season.
