Is this the start of Liverpool's life without Salah?

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Liverpool’s win at West Ham felt like more than a badly needed result. It offered a first real glimpse of what the next generation may look like under Arne Slot — and, crucially, how the team might one day evolve without leaning so heavily on Mohamed Salah.   For a player who has defined an era at Anfield, watching from the bench was a rare sight, and Slot’s decision to leave him out carried a significance that stretched far beyond a single match.

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00:00Liverpool's win at West Ham felt more like a badly needed result. It offered a first

00:06real glimpse of what the next generation may look like under Arne Schlott and crucially

00:11how the team might one day evolve without leaning so heavily on Mohamed Salah. For a

00:16player who has defined an era at Anfield, watching from the bench was a rare sight and

00:21Schlott's decision to leave him out carried a significance that stretched far beyond a

00:26single match. Salah's history at the London Stadium is long and colourful but this occasion

00:32spoke more loudly about Liverpool's direction than his past exploits. Schlott has faced calls

00:38even from respected voices to rest the forward after a run of subdued performances.

00:44But the way he behaved was as you would expect from a professional he is but he was very supportive

00:53for his teammates, handled himself really well. Dropping a club icon is the easy part, replacing

00:59his influence is another challenge entirely. Yet Liverpool's reshaped attack offered an answer,

01:05clarity, balance and a sense of renewed possibility. Alexander Azak's first league goal for the club

01:11provided the breakthrough a sharp finish that lifted both his confidence and the energy around the team.

01:18Florian Verts, meanwhile, dictated large spells with the intelligent movement and composure that made him

01:24one of the summer's headline arrivals. Around them, Dominic Sabozlai looked liberated in an advanced role.

01:30Cody Yakpo impressed on the left and Joe Gomez added security on the right, helping Liverpool keep a much-needed

01:37clean sheet. Salah, who remains one of Liverpool's greatest ever players by any metric, still has a crucial role

01:45to play. Schlott made that clear but equally he would be failing in his remit if he did not plan

01:51for what comes next. Liverpool's evolving front line showed promise, fluidity and the kind of imagination

01:57Schlott has been eager to imprint. The significance of the result can not only end a poor run but in

02:03revealing a blueprint for growth, one that suggests Liverpool's future need not be defined by a single

02:09player, even one as extraordinary as Mohamed Salah.

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