H
Mohamed Salah’s return to action at Anfield against Brighton left no room for doubt about where Liverpool supporters stand.
After the storm surrounding his comments last weekend, many wondered how the Anfield crowd would respond when the Egyptian finally reappeared. They got their answer just before the half-hour mark on Saturday afternoon — and it was emphatic.
Salah had been left out of the squad entirely for the midweek Champions League trip to Inter Milan, but he was recalled for this Premier League clash and named among the substitutes once again. For the fourth league game in a row, the 33-year-old began on the bench — though not for long.
An Early Call from the Bench
Liverpool were forced into an early change when Joe Gomez, who had already played a key role by setting up Hugo Ekitike’s opening goal inside the first minute, picked up an injury after just 25 minutes. Arne Slot turned to Salah, sending him on earlier than planned, with Dominik Szoboszlai dropping into right-back.
As Salah’s name echoed around Anfield, the response was instant. Around 60,000 fans rose to their feet, applauding loudly and chanting his name — a clear show of unity and support for the club’s legendary No.11 
Fans Stand with Salah — and Slot
Despite attempts elsewhere to frame a growing rift between Salah and head coach Arne Slot, the supporters inside the stadium have delivered a very different verdict this week.
Slot received strong backing from the travelling Reds at the San Siro on Tuesday, and on Saturday, Salah enjoyed a thunderous welcome from the Kop. Any lingering uncertainty about how Liverpool’s match-going fans felt was wiped away in seconds.
Straight Into the Action
True to form, Salah wasted no time getting involved. Soon after coming on, he picked up the ball in midfield, drove forward with intent, and slipped a pass to Alexis Mac Allister. The move nearly led to another opening for Ekitike, though Salah himself could easily have gone for goal.
The message from Anfield was unmistakable: Mo Salah remains a beloved figure, and to the Liverpool faithful, he is still very much the Egyptian King 
A clip of the reaction to Salah’s introduction is circulating on social media, capturing the moment the stadium erupted as he entered the fray.