Mohamed Salah admitted Arne Slot has made him a better player since he became Liverpool head coach. The winger was speaking immediately after the Reds were crowned 2024/25 Premier League champions thanks to a 5-1 win over Tottenham Hotspur.
It’s a triumph few saw coming at the start of the campaign when Slot replaced Jurgen Klopp and there was a general feeling that Liverpool could regress as it moved on from its long-term manager.
Instead, the team has been transformed under Slot, who has guided them to a 15-point gap over Arsenal with four games remaining. A 90+ point season is very much on the cards now for Slot’s side, an incredible achievement from the Dutchman.
None of that may have been possible if it weren’t for the goal contributions of Mohamed Salah, who has provided 46 so far this campaign, the most of any player in a 38-game Premier League season. He just needs one more goal or assist to equal the all-time record set in the divison.
But those improvements are far from a fluke, it’s something Salah and his boss have worked on meticulously across the season
“He’s quite tough, Dutch is quite tough with his personality,” the Liverpool winger told Sky Sports after the game, when asked about the impact Slot has had since arriving. “He made our life easier because immediately he knew what he wanted you to do, which is what we did. I’m glad we won it here.
Quizzed on whether he made Salah a better player, the 32-year-old replied: “You can see the numbers. It seems so. Now I don’t have to defend much.
“It’s quite hard to say one thing [that is different], but the tactics are quite different. I told him: ‘As long as you rest me defensively, I will provide offensively. Try to rest me as much as I could and I will show you the numbers’. I’m glad that I did.
“It was the manager’s idea but I think he listened a lot. I spoke to him and you can see the numbers.”
On not being asked to defend as much, Salah added: “It’s quite tricky because when you play in the Premier League you have to defend also. I told him that I can gamble here and there but when I get the ball I am always free and can make the difference.
“I think the number of assists also shows that. It’s not just goals – it’s about creating chances that are different for the team.”
