It’s been 753 minutes since Mohamed Salah’s last goal in an open game for Liverpool, but there is absolutely no chance of him being left out of Saturday’s FA Cup semi-final against Manchester City. Ignoring penalties, Salah has not found the net with any of his last 38 goal attempts in the last two months, but he has to start at Wembley because he is a winner and has earned the right to play in big games like this even if he is in bad course. Mohamed Salah’s last goal from an open game came in the 67th minute against Norwich on 19 February. He has since scored three penalties, but this is his longest streak without scoring an open goal for Liverpool (10), as well as the longest in terms of minutes. The previous longest run was nine appearances, between July and October 2020 I agree that he has not played as well as he can, but let us not forget that since the 29-year-old Egyptian joined Liverpool in 2017, he has set standards with his score numbers above anything we thought was possible. We judge him based on his own ridiculous record and the fact that his statistics for the last two months are more common does not change the fact that he is capable of scoring remarkable goals that no one else on the field, whoever the opponent is. That in itself is reason enough to choose him, but in addition you must remember the effect that his mere presence in City will have. Whether Joao Cancelo, Nathan Ake or Oleksandr Zinchenko play left-back for City this weekend, they would fear Salah at all times. They all like to go it alone, but they know that when they do, they leave behind the best scorer in the Premier League. This is a very different dynamic from anyone else they could face on the Liverpool team. While Salah did not score at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday, he still had a huge impact on the game, especially with his perfect pass for Sadio Mane to make it 2-2 at the start of the second half. I expect more from them this time around, and it would not surprise me at all if Salah really scores the winner, because he has done it so many times in the past. Salah has scored 153 goals in 243 games for Liverpool, winning the Golden Shoes – or a share of it – as the Premier League top scorer on two occasions.
Liverpool also need their experienced liaison
It is not just Salah whose position is being questioned. Jurgen Klopp has to make some big decisions about who will be in the top three, due to the competition for positions that have been brought in their attack first by Diogo Jota and now Luis Diaz. Jota nodded to Roberto Firmino to start against City last weekend. But I think what happened in that game means we can see more of Firmino this time. Like Diaz, Jota was a great purchase, but neither of them can do the job that Firmino does for the team by holding the ball and putting it on the pitch. Firmino has scored 98 goals in 322 games for Liverpool, up from 34 in 73 for Jotta – but the Brazilian is best known for his work offside. Jota scored his goal against City, of course, but he also let go of the possession a few times when he fell into deeper areas to try to connect the game. Firmino is by far their best player at doing this and there were times on Sunday when it was very obvious he was not there, in the pockets he usually operates on. This meant that Liverpool lost the ball and you can not do that against a team as good as City and expect to continue to get away from it. There are pros and cons to whichever you choose. Jota is obviously much more threatening for goals – Firmino’s scoring record is not that good – but if you go there with your strength, you lose what Firmino gives you outside the area and vice versa. Given the way the game is likely to unfold and how important it will be to compete with City in the middle of the pitch, I think Firmino’s credibility in linking the Liverpool game will make him nod. FA Cup Highlights: Diego Jota’s late goal helps Liverpool beat Nottingham Forest
Minorities will also play a big role
Salah and Mane started Wednesday’s Champions League home game against Benfica on the bench and only came in for the last half hour or so, on a night where the Reds were always in front. Instead, City had to travel to Madrid for a really intense match with Atletico, where they were tested and pressed until the end. We knew that Atletico Madrid would come out aggressive – Pep Guardiola The fact that Liverpool were able to rest and change their team more than City in the middle of the week can only make a small difference in how things are going this weekend, but it will be a factor. There is no way the tempo can be less intense than it was on Sunday, and the players will get tired as the game continues. It does not mean that you exclude City, because we know how much quality it has in its team and the consistency it has shown with its high levels of performance over a period of many years. I also feel that the talk of fatigue can sometimes be overestimated anyway because, as a player at this stage of the season, either for Liverpool or City, you are playing for your place in the next game. You do not want to rest. you want to play as much as you can. Even so, owning one is still beyond the reach of the average person. Manchester City – Liverpool was at “another level” – Klopp For both teams, however, the way they use their substitutes will be vital, not even tactically but physically. The decisions will be: When do you change things, who do you change and how do they affect the game? Any coach with that right – whether it be Jurgen Klopp or Pep Guardiola – will probably win the game, because I would be surprised if a substitute did not significantly influence the outcome of this semi-final. Danny Murphy spoke to BBC Sport’s Chris Bevan.
