Salah, Klopp clash in Liverpool’s 2-2 draw at West Ham
Mo Salah and Jurgen Klopp clashed on the touchline during Liverpool‘s 2-2 draw at West Ham.
The incident occurred while Salah, who had been dropped from the starting XI following a much-criticised performance in Wednesday’s Merseyside derby, was waiting to come on with 11 minutes remaining at The London Stadium.
Klopp turned to Salah on the touchline after a missed West Ham chance, and the pair exchanged words before Salah was pushed away by Joe Gomez and Darwin Nunez.
Mo Salah told reporters as he walked through the post-match mixed zone declining interview requests: “If I speak today there will be fire.”
Afterwards Klopp refused to divulge what had sparked the incident, but added: “We spoke already in the dressing room. For me, that’s done.”
Asked if Salah felt the issue was closed, Klopp said in his press conference: “That’s my impression, yes.”
Wide-angled footage showed Salah approaching the touchline with Nunez and Gomez to be subbed on, with Klopp reaching out to shake Salah’s hand. The Egyptian was not immediately forthcoming, but shook Klopp’s hand before an exchange of words.
Klopp then hugged both Nunez and Gomez, before West Ham missed an opportunity, and Klopp clashed with Salah again, picked up clearly by the TV cameras.
Jamie Carragher posted on X: “The only reason a manager would be unhappy in this situation, is the player took too long to be ready to come on.”
Liverpool’s latest setback has dealt another significant blow to their faltering title bid. Klopp’s side have won just one of their last five Premier League matches.
They sit a point behind second-placed Man City, who have two games in hand, and two points behind leaders Arsenal, who have one game in hand.
“I’m not in the mood to talk about that to be honest or look at that at all,” Klopp told TNT. “We had to win here, we knew that, and we didn’t, and now we have a little bit more time between now and the next game. We try to get the boys ready again and we will go again.”
Sky Sports
