It wasn’t just the Tottenham defence that got one over Mohamed Salah on Wednesday night. A late goal from Lucas Bergvall gave Spurs a 1-0 win in the first leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final, with the Egyptian unusually below-par as the visitors toiled in front of goal.
Salah had gone into the clash looking to score for the fifth successive game, after converting a penalty in the 2-2 draw with Manchester United on Sunday.
But he was seemingly given problems before the game as well as during it, after being savagely trolled moments before kick-off.
In footage posted on Instagram by @borshanazzam, Salah was standing in the Liverpool line-up and shaking hands with players and mascots, as is customary before professional games. But he wasn’t expecting the response he got when he held his hand outstretched for one young female in a Tottenham kit.
Rather than reciprocate, the mascot pulled her hand away and thumbed her nose. To Salah’s credit, he did look at his tormentor and laugh before continuing with the pre-match formalities.
It wasn’t the only amusing interaction the Spurs mascots had with Liverpool players. In the tunnel, the Sky Sports cameras picked up one mascot shouting “Van Dijk come to Tottenham we haven't got any good defenders at the moment!" as the Dutch defender walked past chuckling.
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But the away players weren’t smiling by the end of the evening, with Bergvall's controversial late goal meaning The Reds have a deficit to overturn at Anfield next month. Salah was injured when his side beat Chelsea in the final last year, and has spoken of his desire to win trophies in what could be his final campaign in English football.
The 32-year-old is yet to agree a contract extension with the Anfield club, despite a clamour from fans for him to sign a new deal. And he’s constantly dropped hints that no agreement is imminent, leading to an online spat with Jamie Carragher this week.
On Monday Night Football, the Sky Sports pundit argued that both Salah and Trent-Alexander Arnold could learn from club captain Virgil Van Dijk how to handle themselves better as their contract situations rumble on. That followed the forward posting a cryptic photo of all three players together during the United game on social media.
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The criticism prompted Salah to take to X and hit back at the Liverpool legend. Above a clip of Carragher presenting his argument, he wrote: “I’m starting to think you’re obsessed with me.”
Carragher responded wittily, urging Salah to sign a new deal by replying: "I’ve always been obsessed with you Mo Salah, hopefully that obsession will continue next season.”