Liverpool were held to a 3-3 draw against Newcastle United in a pulsating thriller at St James’ Park on Wednesday night.
Mohamed Salah scored twice for the Reds and provided an assist for Curtis Jones as he produced an outstanding performance for his club yet again.
Liverpool boss Arne Slot hinted about Salah’s future for the first time this season after the game.
Salah is out of contract in the summer, and he is yet to sign a new deal. The Reds forward has vented his frustration in recent weeks, but he is ready to agree a one-year contract extension at the club.
Slot said after the game that he wants Salah to score for Liverpool for a ‘long time’, which indicates that something positive might come up despite the contract stand-off.
“Every time we need him, he scores an important goal,” Slot said after the game. “We are hoping and expecting that he can continue this for a long time,”
“He is in a very good place, in a very good team that provides him with opportunities. What makes him even more special is that, in the first hour, he was not playing his best game.
“Then he comes up with an assist, two goals, a shot against the bar. Special player and an outstanding performance.”
Liverpool will learn from their mistakes
The Reds are reportedly set to offer Virgil van Dijk a new contract imminently, and they are also in talks with Trent Alexander-Arnold, whose deal also expires at the end of the season.
Slot started with Joe Gomez and Jarrell Quansah, but both failed to make an impact. Gomez made a litany of errors, while Quansah was mostly ineffective at right-back before he moved to the centre-back role alongside Van Dijk.
A mistake from Caoimhin Kelleher in the end proved costly as the Magpies scored a late equaliser to salvage a point.
The Reds are now seven points clear at the top of the table after Chelsea and Arsenal won their respective games.
