Copy linkFacebookXPinterestEmailShare this article 0Join the conversationFollow usAdd us as a preferred source on GoogleNewsletterFour Four TwoGet FourFourTwo NewsletterThe best features, fun and footballing quizzes, straight to your inbox every week.Become a Member in Seconds Unlock instant access to exclusive member features.Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.You are now subscribedYour newsletter sign-up was successfulWant to add more newsletters?Five times a weekFourFourTwo DailyFantastic football content straight to your inbox! From the latest transfer news, quizzes, videos, features and interviews with the biggest names in the game, plus lots more.Signup +Once a week...And its LIVE!Sign up to our FREE live football newsletter, tracking all of the biggest games available to watch on the device of your choice. Never miss a kick-off!Signup +Join the clubGet full access to premium articles, exclusive features and a growing list of member rewards.Explore An account already exists for this email address, please log in.Subscribe to our newsletterGoodbyes are never easy.The dark skies and torrential rain, the chances of silverware this season ended, suited the mood around Anfield. A glittering era is coming to an end.Liverpools top goalscorer in the competition, having long eclipsed Steven Gerrard, ends his Anfield career with 48 Champions League goals for the club and as the Reds all-time European goalscorer, again ahead of Gerrard. You may like Mohamed Salah to leave Liverpool at the end of the season after 11 years at the club Mo Salah Anfield exit kickstarts biggest issue Liverpool have faced for almost a decade Liverpool report: Mohamed Salah in shock talks with former club Mo Salah bids farewell to the Champions LeagueThere were also 19 assists in his 85 Champions League appearances for Liverpool, making for 67 goal contributions for the top-scoring African in the competitions history.Salah scored 53 times in Europe for Liverpool, from an audacious chip against Manchester City, a trademark, curled effort against Roma in a semi-final, to the opening goal in the 2019 Champions League final against Tottenham.Get VIP Liverpool tickets HERE with Seat Unique!Seat Unique tickets at Anfield offer a fantastic matchday. You get premium padded seats in the new Anfield Road stand (Block AM5, front rows) and access to the Brodies Lounge for three hours pre-match. Enjoy street food, a complimentary half-time drink, a matchday programme, and entertainment, including a Liverpool legend appearance, making it a truly elevated experience.View DealThere was also the quickest hat-trick in Champions League history when coming off the bench against Rangers in 2022.His final Champions League goal for Liverpool came in the last 16 tie against Galatasaray and it was very much trademark Salah, cutting in from the right and exchanging a pass with Florian Wirtz before curling into the far top corner in front of The Kop.Get FourFourTwo NewsletterThe best features, fun and footballing quizzes, straight to your inbox every week.Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.It was a goal the Anfield faithful have seen on repeat during the Egyptians nine years on Merseyside.Salahs final appearance in the competition for the club he signed for in 2017 came from the bench, with Arne Slot again not naming him in his starting lineup against Luis Enriques reigning champions.Slot explained that, effectively, the plan was for Salah to replace Alexander Isak at half time, but Hugo Ekitikes first-half injury meant Salahs introduction arrived slightly earlier than planned. What to read next Liverpools Mohamed Salah replacement revealed, with Arsenal interested: report Mohamed Salah's most likely next club revealed after Liverpool bombshell 'Mohamed Salah edges ahead of him when judging strictly on Premier League performance and impact' Jamie Carragher claims Mohamed Salahs Premier League legacy tops Cristiano Ronaldo Alas, Salahs hour on the pitch showed exactly what he is capable of at age 33, and exactly what his next club will be getting.Salah was Liverpools go-to attacking option. Despite not being on the pitch from the start, only five Liverpool players had more touches in the game than he did.Within moments of coming on, he put in a cross to create the best opportunity so far - one which Ibrahima Konate should have scored from initially, before Virgil van Dijk was denied by an outstanding Marquinhos block.As was the case against Fulham at the weekend, Salah linked with Wirtz and whenever Liverpool looked most threatening it was because of that duo combining.Salah and Wirtz each created four chances, the joint highest in the game.Salah also registered the most touches inside the opposition box as Liverpool continually looked to their talisman and one of the clubs greatest ever players.However, Salahs one shot was blocked and his attempts at beating his man often ended in failure and frustration.As it has often this season, it looks like a case of when the mind knows what it wants but the body cant quite deliver it any more.Get VIP Premier League tickets HERE with Seat Unique!Seat Unique is a shortcut to those sold-out, high-stakes Premier League matches that usually feel out of reach without years of loyalty points. By partnering directly with clubs like Liverpool, Spurs, and Everton, they provide 100% official, guaranteed entry without the red tape of memberships or ballots. Its a secure way to bypass the resale lottery and walk straight into the ground with a prime view, making those "once-in-a-lifetime" derbies actually doable.View DealPhysically, Salah cant impose himself in the way he used to in duels and one-v-ones. His pace has dropped when chasing back or attempting to race clear. The attempt is still there but Father Time catches up even with the fittest, most dedicated athletes.Alas, a different manager may have found a way to foster an environment in which Salah could still prosper, make use of his incredible playmaking ability and provide a system that doesnt require the defensive workload.Salah is, after all, one of the greatest players Liverpool have ever had and a player that most clubs in Europe would still love to have in their squad.Will this be Salah's final Champions League appearance? He'd still be a quality option for most clubs in next season's competition.Many Liverpool supporters feel that Salahs decline this season has not been helped by Slots use of him tactically. Could an adjustment to two strikers together in a 4-2-2-2 shape have got the best out of not only Salah but also the likes of Wirtz, Dominik Szoboszlai and strikers Isak and Ekitike when they were available?Unfortunately, well never find out. Salah has six games remaining of his Liverpool career, starting with Sundays Merseyside derby, while Ekitike looks to be facing a very long period on the sidelines.Liverpool already needed attacking signings this summer, which has been underlined by both Salahs importance to the team despite his imminent departure.TOPICSLiverpoolChampions LeagueMatt LadsonSocial Links NavigationMatt Ladson is the co-founder and editor of This Is Anfield, the independent Liverpool news and comment website, and covers all areas of the Reds for FourFourTwo including transfer analysis, interviews, title wins and European trophies. As well as writing about Liverpool for FourFourTwo he also contributes to other titles including Yahoo and Bleacher Report. He is a lifelong fan of the Reds.
