Mohamed Salah was left out of Liverpool’s starting lineup to play West Ham on Sunday in a surprise move by coach Arne Slot.

Club great Salah was Liverpool’s leading scorer on the way to a record-equaling 20th English league title last season. But the Egypt international has struggled for form this term as the Merseyside club’s title defense has unravelled.

Slot named a forward line of Alexander Isak, Florian Wirtz, and Cody Gakpo for the game at the London Stadium, with Salah a substitute.

Liverpool headed into the match on the back of a run of nine losses in 12 games in all competitions. It has lost six of its last seven in the league.

Salah’s decline in form has been a feature of that run as he failed to score in his last four games and managed only four goals in the league all season.