Liverpool fans all over the world were shocked on Sunday afternoon when Arne Slot announced his starting XI to face West Ham United. Many expected a strong reaction from Liverpool after painful defeats to Manchester City, Nottingham Forest and PSV Eindhoven, but even with the pressure of three losses in a row, nobody believed Mohamed Salah would start the match on the bench. Salah had been a constant name on the team sheet for years, almost untouchable, always leading the attack and carrying the expectations of the fans. For him to sit among the substitutes was more than news, it was a message that the whole football world had to read twice.
The first time the Egyptian King was benched by Slot had finally arrived. It might have looked like a normal tactical decision, but deep inside Anfield air, it spoke louder than words. Salah had been a superstar for so long that even the idea of another manager resting him felt like a sin in football. But Slot did it, and he did it without fear. Salah took his jacket, sat down, and watched the game begin from the touchline. His face was calm, but football lovers knew that a calm face dos not always mean a calm heart.
Ironically, the last time Salah had been on the bench for a Premier League match was also at the very same London Stadium against West Ham. It was the same place where the cameras captured the unforgettable clash between him and Jurgen Klopp in April 2024. That heated moment became one of the most dramatic scenes in Liverpool history, with the Egyptian angrily speaking to Klopp when he was about to be substituted on. After the match, Salah walked through the mixed zone and said the famous line, “there is going to be fire” if he stopped to talk to the press. Fans still remembered that day clearly. That 2-2 draw almost destroyed Liverpool’s hopes of winning the Premier League title, and it left an emotional scar that many supporters have not healed from.
Now 582 days later, Salah sat on the same bench in the same stadium under a different manager. Life in football has a strange way of going in circles. This time there was no shouting, no angry words, no confrontation with Slot. Salah sat quietly, analysing the game, waiting for his chance, hoping that at some point his number would be raised and he would step onto the pitch to save Liverpool again. But football can sometimes surprise even its greatest heroes.
Slot made his first change around the 68th minute. Many fans were sure the fourth official would lift a board with Salah’s number on it. But the number that appeared did not belong to Salah. Instead, it was Hugo Ekitike who was called into action to replace Alexander Isak. The Liverpool substitutes looked at each other for a moment. Supporters watching at home raised their eyebrows. Everyone could feel the question in the air, unspoken but heavy: if not now, then when?
Time continued ticking and Liverpool still held their lead. Then another decision arrived in the 75th minute. Slot prepared a second substitution. Again, it was not Salah. Curtis Jones came on for Florian Wirtz. The Liverpool bench looked unusually quiet. The fans watching in the stadium waited for the camera to show Salah’s face. He did not complain, he did not shake his head, he did not even talk. He just watched the game.
West Ham continued pushing, trying to find a way back, and then came the third change. Milos Kerkez suffered from cramp, and everybody believed that this was finally the moment Salah would be sent to kill the match once and for all. But Slot chose Andy Robertson instead. The Liverpool captain, known for his defensive strength and leadership, stepped onto the pitch to protect the lead.
Now it was clear. The final substitution had been made. Salah was not going to play at all. The stadium filled with 60,000 people, but at that moment it almost felt silent. A Liverpool legend, maybe the greatest Premier League signing in the club’s entire history, was sitting there unused, watching the game finish without him kicking a ball. It was a very rare sight, so rare that the word “rare” did not even describe it properly. For years, managers planned around Salah. Teams feared him. Opponents doubled-marked him. Liverpool depended on him. And now the Egyptian King had been benched and completely ignored for 90 minutes plus stoppage time.
Slot’s decision was bold. This was not about disrespect. It was about change. Slot wanted to show Liverpool that he would lead with his own identity, not Klopp’s shadow, not the past, not fear. Leaving Salah unused was a signal that nobody was above the team. Not even one of the greatest goal scorers the club has ever seen.
When the final whistle blew, Salah stood up and walked off the touchline with the rest of the team. There was no scene, no negative reaction, no storm. But silence can sometimes speak louder than an explosion. Supporters could feel the tension even without a single word. If Salah had spoken after the match in that moment of silence, every microphone in England would have been pointed at him, but he did not. He walked quietly through the mixed zone with cameras following him, just like 582 days earlier, but the words “there is going to be fire” did not come out this time.
Liverpool won 2-0 and avoided a fourth straight defeat. The three substitutions Slot made proved successful. The decision worked for the team, at least on that day. But Liverpool fans know that this story does not end here. Football is more than tactics. Football is emotion, loyalty, ego, identity, and history. Salah’s journey with Liverpool is not a small story that can be closed with one benching. There is a new question now — what happens next? Slot has shown that he has the courage to bench Salah. But can he do it again? And if he does, what will the consequences be?
Some supporters believe Salah is getting older and Slot is planning for the future. Some believe Salah was simply rested because of his age and long minutes on the pitch this season. Some believe contract talks might be on the horizon. Others are worried that this could be the beginning of the end for the Egyptian King in Liverpool red. For many fans, the idea of Salah eventually leaving the club feels like heartbreak waiting to happen.
Salah has been Liverpool’s hero in dark times, their rescuer in difficult matches, their greatest weapon against rivals. He has given supporters unforgettable memories, trophies, and magic. The day Salah is no longer part of Liverpool’s matchday story will be one of the hardest days in the club’s modern history.
For now, he remains at Liverpool, smiling in training, working hard, staying professional. But football is a living thing, always moving, always changing. Slot has just proved that he is not afraid to make painful decisions for the benefit of results. Sooner or later, he may be asked publicly to explain his plan for Salah. Sooner or later, Salah may have emotions that his calm face cannot hide. Sooner or later, the moment of truth will arrive.
In football, there are decisions that change tactics. There are decisions that change matches. And then there are decisions that change history. Slot’s choice to leave Salah unused was not just a decision for December 2025. It might become the decision that shapes the next chapter of Liverpool’s future.
Liverpool supporters left the stadium happy with three points but with millions of thoughts spinning in their minds. They celebrated the win, but inside their hearts, a secret question lived quietly — was this the beginning of something new or the end of something legendary?
The world will keep watching. Salah will keep training. Slot will keep planning. Matches will continue. But every time Liverpool line up for a game now, fans will search for one thing first — is Mohamed Salah in the starting XI or on the bench? And that answer will explain everything. Because in this new Liverpool era under Arne Slot, one bold decision has already made history. And everyone knows the story is not finished
