Liverpool’s “Egyptian King” Mohamed Salah is enduring a difficult spell, with his trademark brilliance dimmed by a run of underwhelming performances and growing criticism of his work ethic.

The forward was below his usual standards once again during Liverpool’s 2-1 defeat to Chelsea on Saturday, squandering several chances and offering little defensive support. He has now gone five games without a goal in the Premier League, a slump that has coincided with Liverpool’s dip in form.

The defeat at Stamford Bridge marked Liverpool’s third loss in eight days, allowing Arsenal to climb above them to the top of the table. So far this season, Salah has managed just three goals and three assists in nine appearances across all competitions — modest numbers by his elite standards.

More concerning than his statistics was the sight of the 33-year-old appearing disengaged as Liverpool came under pressure. His lack of defensive effort left right-back Conor Bradley exposed and eventually substituted at half-time after picking up a yellow card.

The decisive moment came from Salah’s flank, where Marc Cucurella advanced unmarked to set up Estevão Willian’s stoppage-time winner. After the match, Cucurella admitted that Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca had instructed his side to exploit the space Salah leaves behind.

“We know Salah is always ready for the counter-attack, so we practised that. The manager told us the space might be there,” Cucurella said.

Salah’s struggles have been evident since the latter part of last season. After a prolific run of 29 goals in 38 league games that earned him the Premier League Golden Boot and helped Liverpool secure their 20th league title, his influence has steadily waned.

Following a brace against Southampton in March, he has scored only two goals in his last 11 appearances, during which Liverpool were eliminated from the Champions League by Paris Saint-Germain.

Earlier this year, Salah claimed he had convinced manager Arne Slot to let him focus on attacking contributions rather than defensive duties.

“I told him as long as you rest me defensively, I will deliver offensively. I’ll show you the numbers,” Salah said at the time.

However, that strategy now appears to be backfiring as opponents increasingly exploit Liverpool’s right flank.

Former Manchester United and England star Wayne Rooney was among those who criticised Salah’s recent performances.

“We know he doesn’t always track back, but against Chelsea his full-back was getting torn apart while he was watching,” Rooney said on the BBC’s Wayne Rooney Show.

“When you’re scoring, the team tolerates it. But lately, I’d question his work ethic. The leaders in that dressing room need to tell him to help out — he’s looked lost this past week.”

Former Liverpool midfielder Danny Murphy echoed Rooney’s sentiment, warning that Salah’s lack of defensive effort is becoming a tactical liability.

“It feels like Salah’s defensive work has become a little problem for Liverpool, especially against stronger sides,” Murphy said.

Manager Arne Slot faces a tough task in reigniting his star player’s spark. The Dutchman benched Salah for the first hour of last week’s Champions League defeat to Galatasaray, later admitting that the decision may have affected his sharpness against Chelsea.

“It’s hard to know — did he miss those chances because he lacked rhythm, or would he have been tired had he played midweek? We’ll never know,” Slot said.

Still, the Liverpool boss insists on patience as Salah looks to rediscover his rhythm.

“It’s not like every chance he gets is a goal,” Slot said. “It feels that way because he’s done it so often, but he’s human too.”

For now, Salah remains under scrutiny — both for his form and for the defensive gaps his freedom has created — as Liverpool seek to regain their winning edge.