Anfield analysis 

©TM/IMAGO

When Liverpool take on Barnsley in the third round of the FA Cup on Monday they’ll have to make sure that complacency doesn’t seep in and lead to an almighty cup upset. But, if Arne Slot’s side can win the tie and progress to the next round of football’s oldest competition, it would constitute an eleventh straight game without defeat for the Premier League champions. And, following an impressive 0-0 draw in North London against Arsenal in midweek, the Anfield side seem to have put their poor run of form in November behind them and are certainly beginning to look like their old selves once again.

However, this in-form Liverpool side is also one with a new look. Alongside many of the new signings made in the summer transfer window, Slot’s current side also has one glaring difference from teams of the past: Mohamed Salah doesn’t feature at all. Due to the Egyptian international being on AFCON duty since the end of December and some unfortunate form leading him spending more time on the bench, Liverpool ended 2025 without their cherished talisman. And, to the surprise of fans and critics alike, Slot’s team seem to be playing far better since Salah stepped away from the Anfield spotlight.

Indeed, Salah has now missed seven Premier League games this season and in each and every one of them Liverpool have managed to avoid defeat. Of course, some of the results have been somewhat below par – such as the 2-2 draw with Fulham and the double-header against Leeds which left Liverpool with just two points from both games – but in that time Liverpool have also picked up wins over West Ham, Tottenham and Wolves, as well as the aforementioned draw away to Arsenal that few expected the Anfield giants to take anything from. Intriguingly, Liverpool have drawn just one league game in which Salah has featured in this season, but have lost six of the 14 Premier League games he’s either started or came on in as a substitute.

When we tally up Liverpool’s numbers with and without Salah it makes for some interesting reading. For example, as we can see in the graphic above, the Anfield club are conceding fewer goals and scoring slightly more. And, most importantly, their points per game average has increased by 18% with Salah out of the team. Naturally, the most important stat for Liverpool fans to take note of is the league table and here we can also see a notable shift in fortunes once Salah stepped out of the side. After the first 12 matchdays – in which Salah featured in every game and never got subbed off – Liverpool found themselves sitting twelfth in the table. But since then the Anfield side have played Salah just twice in nine league games and consequently shot up to fourth in the league table.

Whether Salah’s absence is really behind Liverpool’s return to form is certainly up for debate. And considering the immense success the Egyptian forward has enjoyed at Anfield over the years, it’s understandable if fans are hesitant to keep Salah out of the starting XI for too much longer. But something has clearly clicked for Slot’s team in recent weeks and it’ll be interesting to see if the Liverpool manager decides to stick with his winning formula when Salah returns from international duty or tries to find a way to accommodate his biggest star in the second half of the season.