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Arne Slot wants to enjoy Mohamed Salah’s talents for as long as possible after the Egyptian scored one and set up two goals in Liverpool’s 3-0 win away to rivals Manchester United.
Salah, 32, is in the final season of his Liverpool contract and afterwards admitted he treated it as his last appearance at Old Trafford, but he used it to show he remains an elite talent as he twice set up Luis Diaz in the first half before getting the killer third in the 56th minute.
Speaking to Sky Sports after the match, Salah said: “I was coming to the game, I was saying ‘Look, it could be the last time’. Nobody in the club talked to me yet about contracts so I was just like, ‘OK, I play my last season and see at the end of the season’.”
Asked about Salah’s comments, Slot said: “It’s a lot of ‘if’. At this moment he is one of ours and I am really happy with him being one of ours and he played really well. I don’t talk about contracts from players but I can talk for hours about how Mo played today.”
Sunday’s win makes it three out of three for Slot, who became the first Liverpool boss since Bob Paisley in 1975 to win his first competitive match against United.
Liverpool had an early Trent Alexander-Arnold goal ruled out for offside but did not let it bother them as they looked a cut above United.
“Everything what you want to see as a manager you saw in this game,” Slot said. “There were difficult moments for us, United started really well but then we the have disallowed goal and there was no negative reaction.
“We kept on playing, scoring three, we could have scored more, two important saves from Alisson and the work rate was incredibly well without the ball and that makes it a very positive day.”
But for United and Erik ten Hag it was another humbling afternoon, with the manager – handed a contract extension in the summer but only after the club had considered alternatives – forced to defend his record in charge of the club.
“It is just the third game in the season, we have to build a new team,” he said. “I explained this so many times, we will build this new team, we have young players and players to build in…
“It is clear we have to improve but at the end of the season I am confident we will have a big chance to lift another trophy.”
So many of the issues that have plagued United not only this season but last were on show again as they too easily conceded possession, with Liverpool enjoying huge amounts of space in midfield.
But Ten Hag disagreed with the question when he was asked why his players keep making the same mistakes.
“I don’t think so,” he said. “Otherwise you wouldn’t win trophies as we would or beat big opponents. I am sorry for you. I have another vision…I think we won after City the most trophies in English football so I am sorry for you.”
Manuel Ugarte, United’s new signing from Paris St Germain, was paraded on the pitch before the game but United desperately needed him involved. Casemiro was at fault for both of Diaz’s first-half goals and was replaced at half-time by Toby Collyer.
“We have to build him in the team, it will take time,” Ten Hag said of Ugarte. “It is not like I’m Harry Potter, that is what you have to acknowledge. If you see Manuel Ugarte, he didn’t play so far in the season, not one match minute.
“We have to build his fitness, we will have to build him into the team, and then I am sure he will be an important player.”
