Mohamed Salah appeared emotional after Liverpool’s 2-0 victory over Brighton, with a body language specialist claiming the scenes looked like a farewell
A body language expert has suggested Mohamed Salah’s time at Anfield may be drawing to a close.
The Liverpool ace stirred up a storm last week when he claimed the club had “thrown him under the bus” after a period of absence from the pitch. Salah’s post-match interview following Liverpool’s 3-3 draw with Leeds United caused quite a stir, fuelling speculation that the forward, who is set to compete in the Africa Cup of Nations, might be on his way out of the club.
Manager Arne Slot confessed to being surprised by Salah’s comments, after the 33-year-old had been benched for several recent games, leading to some serious discussions. Despite missing the midweek European match against Inter, Salah was included in the squad for Saturday’s victory against Brighton, and an injury to Joe Gomez saw him enter the fray after just 25 minutes.
Salah contributed an assist in the 2-0 win and seemed noticeably emotional at the end of the match, acknowledging fans in all corners of Anfield and being one of the last players to leave the field. Body language expert Darren Stanton believes these actions suggest Salah could soon be leaving Liverpool, reports the Mirror.
“Mohamed Salah looked very, very emotional after the Brighton game,” Stanton told OLBG. “I think it was almost like his epitaph. I don’t think we’re going to see him again, if I’m honest.”
“He had tears in his eyes when he was clapping along with the crowd, so I think that’s his swan song, his kind of farewell,” Stanton continued.
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“I think even though it’s not formal, I think he knows in his heart that he’s never going to be in that situation and walk on that pitch again. So I do think he’s going to be going and not coming back.
“Salah had an expression, it was sadness and disappointment because, obviously, things hadn’t gone differently. Principally, he was quite sad, quite emotional, had tears in his eyes, and facially, he was flashing micro expressions of sadness.”
The encounter concluded 2-0 courtesy of Hugo Ekitike’s double strike. Ekitike found the net inside the opening minute before adding a second on the hour mark, with Salah providing the assist for the latter with a pinpoint cross at a corner.
Following the triumph, Slot faced questions regarding Salah’s future, and when pressed about whether he wanted the winger back following Egypt’s AFCON campaign, the Dutch boss simply responded: “Yes.”
Meanwhile, Salah remained tight-lipped, playfully telling journalists: “Two weekends in a row? No, no.”
Nevertheless, when Slot was pushed on whether the Reds talisman was keen to remain at Anfield, he remarked: “That I think you already know the answer. What has been said between us stays between us. He was in the squad and my first substitution.
“There is no issue for me to resolve,” he continued. “For me, he is now the same as any other player. There is nothing for me to talk about after what happened against Leeds.”