Mohamed Salah records unwanted Liverpool stat in Carabao Cup final defeat

Mohamed Salah endured a nightmare performance in the Carabao Cup final, as Liverpool were defeated 2-1 by Newcastle United, missing out on their first silverware of the 2024-25 season.

The Reds were hoping to add another trophy to their collection but were undone by goals from Dan Burn and Alexander Isak, as Newcastle secured their first major trophy in 70 years.

Salah’s display was one to forget, as he failed to register either a shot or an assist in the entire 90 minutes, according to OptaJoe.

This marked the first time in his Liverpool career that the Egyptian forward went without both an attempt on goal and a key pass, setting an unwanted record for the Reds.

The defeat came on the back of another heartbreak for Liverpool. Just days earlier, the Premier League leaders were eliminated from the Champions League by Paris Saint-Germain after a penalty shootout.

Now, with back-to-back losses at Anfield and Wembley, questions are beginning to arise about the team’s recent form.

Despite the setbacks, Liverpool remain strong contenders for the Premier League title.

They still hold a commanding 12-point lead at the top of the table and are firmly on course for a record-equalling 20th league title.

There have been growing concerns over the fitness of the Liverpool players following the consecutive losses, but manager Arne Slot has dismissed such doubts.

He stated that the defeat to Newcastle had nothing to do with stamina, insisting that the team’s performance was not a reflection of their physical condition.

Mentally, it’s always difficult to judge. Were we on Tuesday mentally or physically tired? No,” Slot said.

“But this game had nothing to do with running, this game had only to do with playing duels and there was no intensity in terms of running in this game at all.

“So you cannot even judge it if we were tired yes or no, physically, because we could not press them. You can judge a team if they are tired and they press.”