The winter break has proven to be a hindrance rather than a help for Liverpool.
Before the two-week pause, the Reds looked to be cruising to a Premier League title and will have been hopeful of even securing a treble. However, their first league defeat of the campaign, against Watford, means they can now not go the season unbeaten, even if it is unlikely to derail their procession to the title, whilst a defeat against Chelsea saw them crash out of the FA Cup.
They are also in danger of being knocked out of the Champions League as well – they lost 1-0 away at Atletico Madrid, meaning they need to turn it around in the second leg to progress.
Much like his team, Mohamed Salah has struggled in the past few weeks. He has scored just once and provided no assists in his last five games, unable to exert the same influence he has on his side’s play across the rest of the campaign.
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Fortunately, his next opponent is exactly what he will have been hoping for to get himself and his teammates out of this rut.
The Anfield outfit face Bournemouth this weekend, a club that has often come off worse against Salah and the European champions. In his last five games against the Cherries, Salah has seven goals. Liverpool, too, have done very well in the past few matches against the south-coast team – they have prevailed in their last five clashes with an aggregate score of 17-0.
Despite being the division’s second-highest scorers with 64 strikes, Liverpool have struggled in recent weeks – they have scored in just one of their last five matches. As Klopp looks to rejuvenate his players in preparation for the end of the campaign, he will be looking to his senior men to bring momentum back on their side.
£135m-rated Salah may not have the voice and leadership skills of a Jordan Henderson, for example, but he can set the standard in terms of his performance. The match against Eddie Howe’s side may just be the place to start.
Meanwhile, Liverpool’s season could end up being anti-climatic.