Liverpool head coach Arne Slot has spoken out ahead of his final press conference of the campaign, reflecting on his time working with Mohamed Salah as the forward prepares for what is expected to be his final game for the club against Brentford at Anfield.
The build-up to the final day of the season has been completely overshadowed by an explosive social media post from Mohamed Salah following Liverpool’s recent defeat to Aston Villa. In the post, Salah openly questioned the team’s current tactical identity, seemingly calling for a return to the aggressive, high-pressing “heavy metal” style of the Jürgen Klopp era.
Liverpool head coach Arne Slot has paid an emotional yet candid tribute to the departing Mohamed Salah ahead of the final weekend of the Premier League season.
Sunday’s clash against Brentford at Anfield is set to be a momentous, emotionally charged afternoon as the Kop prepares to bid farewell to two modern club legends: Mohamed Salah and Andy Robertson, both of whom are bringing their historic nine-year tenures on Merseyside to a close.
However, the final week of the campaign has been complicated by an uneasy relationship between the head coach and his star forward. Following articles across various sports networks detailing a public tactical disagreement, Slot addressed the media to reflect on their incredible highs together, while keeping his eyes firmly fixed on a vital final-day objective.
Winning number 20: Celebrating the 2024/25 glory
Despite the recent friction, Slot was full of praise when asked how he will ultimately remember the “Egyptian King.” He pointed directly to their monumental success together during the 2024/25 campaign, when Salah scored 29 Premier League goals to fire Liverpool to their historic 20th domestic league crown.
For Slot, who had previously won a major title with Feyenoord, coming into the English top flight and lifting the trophy at the very first attempt was an extraordinary achievement one anchored by his No.11.
“How will I remember Mo? 100% last season, I think he said – and that means even more than when I said it, because he has won so many things at this club – he said the most special thing he has won was last season’s Premier League title,”Slot shared.
“Now I can safely say that was the most special thing I have won in my life, so I will remember that and how important he was in that season for the club. And as a result also for me with all the goals he scored.”
Securing the 2024/25 title carried profound emotional weight for the club and its fanbase. When Liverpool won the league in 2020 under Jürgen Klopp, severe COVID-19 restrictions forced them to lift the trophy in an empty stadium.
Last season, however, fans finally got their catharsis celebrating the triumph against Tottenham Hotspur and packing Anfield to witness the trophy lift on the final day of the season.
The uneasy reality of the 2025/26 campaign
While last year was a fairytale, the 2025/26 season has been an altogether tougher, more turbulent journey. The noticeable drop-off between the title-winning side and the current team has been a constant talking point among football analysts.
The relationship between Slot and Salah has grown increasingly strained over recent months. Tensions first flared publicly following a frustrating 3-3 draw at Leeds United in December, and reached a boiling point last week when Salah took to social media to post a statement widely interpreted as a sharp criticism of Slot’s tactical approach and style of football.
“We, as a club, as a team, we weren’t on the same heights this season but I will 100% mainly remember him for last season and the fans should maybe remember him for all these seasons that he played for us but my main memory will definitely be last season.”
While the emotional narrative will surround the departures of Salah and Robertson who have accumulated a combined 820 appearances for the club Slot has insisted that his team cannot afford to treat Sunday as an exhibition match.
Barring a freak, mathematically improbable set of results, Liverpool are all but assured a spot in Europe’s elite competition next year.
However, the Reds boss made it clear that until the whistle blows against Brentford, the job is not done. Interestingly, Slot noted that even Salah, despite his recent social media outburst, recognizes what is at stake.
“If you were to ask these two players (Robertson and Salah) – and I think it was also one of the things Mo said in his [social media] post – that he also understands how important qualification for the Champions League is for us,” Slot explained.
“If we want to have an even more solid base than the one we have built this season, going into next season, then Champions League football is vital for that. It will give it an even more solid base than without Champions League football.”
ReadLiverpoolFC Verdict
t is impossible to ignore the undercurrent of tension heading into this weekend. The friction between Arne Slot and Mohamed Salah has simmered all winter, and the recent social media fallout felt like a sad, unnecessary fracture in what should be a celebratory final week.
Salah’s frustrations with the tactical shift this year are clear, and Slot’s admission that he will only choose to remember last season reveals a partnership that has run its course.
But when Brentford arrive on Sunday, none of that should matter.
What Salah and Andy Robertson have given to this football club over the last nine years is the stuff of legend. They were the architects of a golden era, and the fact that they delivered standard-defying greatness under both Jürgen Klopp and Arne Slot including that incredible 20th league title last year solidifies their status in the Anfield pantheon.
Slot is entirely correct to keep his eye on the prize; securing Champions League football is the absolute baseline required to rebuild the squad for next season. But let’s hope the team gets the job done early so the Kop can spend the final twenty minutes showering two absolute icons in the unconditional love and gratitude they have earned.
