LIVERPOOL, England (AP) — Mohamed Salah was left out of Liverpool's starting lineup by manager Arne Slot on Wednesday for the second straight Premier League match, in what could be a sign of the Egypt winger's fading status in his ninth season at the club.
Salah was named on the bench for the home game against Sunderland, only entering as a halftime substitute — and failing to score — in a 1-1 draw at Anfield.
On Sunday, the Egypt winger was an unused substitute in Liverpool's 2-0 win at West Ham. That marked the first time Salah hadn't started a league game under Slot, who took charge in the offseason of 2024 and won the title in his first season — chiefly thanks to Salah's league-high 29 goals.
Slot acknowledged Salah was unhappy at being dropped last weekend but that he “handled himself really well” and was a "top professional.”
That wasn't enough to regain his place in the team three days later, with Slot sticking with Dominic Szoboszlai on the right wing — seemingly because of his work off the ball.
“In the first half, we played Szoboszlai on the right to be defensively strong enough not to concede as much as we did in the last few weeks,” Slot said.
Liverpool has three matches — two in the Premier League and one in the Champions League — before Salah heads to the Africa Cup of Nations with Egypt.
Slot refused to say whether Salah would come into the team for Liverpool's next match — at Leeds on Saturday.
“I have not given a thought to how we will play at the weekend against Leeds,” he said. "I have an idea who will start but I won’t say.”
Salah has scored four goals in the Premier League this season.
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Liverpool's Mohamed Salah, centre, and Dominik Szoboszlai warm up before the Champions League opening phase soccer match between Liverpool and PSV in Liverpool, England, Wednesday, Nov. 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Jon Super)
Liverpool's Mohamed Salah applauds after the Champions League opening phase soccer match between Liverpool and PSV in Liverpool, England, Wednesday, Nov. 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Jon Super)
TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) — Noah Fifita threw for 325 yards to become Arizona's all-time leading passer and accounted for five touchdowns, leading the Wildcats to a 42-17 win over Northern Illinois Saturday night after a shaky start.
Fifita was efficient despite being sacked four times, completing 31 of 34 passes to reach 10,017 career yards, eclipsing Nick Foles’ record of 10,011 from 2009–11.
Fifita threw for four touchdowns, extending his school record to 80, and ran for a 30-yard touchdown that put the Wildcats up 42-10 early in the fourth quarter.
Arizona coach Brent Brennan left Fifita in despite the lopsided score, allowing him to break Foles’ record with a 7-yard pass to Isaiah Mizell. Brennan then called timeout, allowing Fifita's teammates to swarm him before his quarterback trotted off the field to cheers from the crowd with 4:48 left.
The Wildcats (2-1) needed a big game from Fifita after falling into a 10-0 hole in the opening six minutes.
The Huskies (0-3) set up an opening field goal by gouging Arizona with its run game and their defense sacked Fifita twice to force a quick three-and-out. Next play from scrimmage, Taron Dickens hit Cam Thompson in stride for a 52-yard touchdown and a 10-0 lead.
Fifita quickly snapped the Wildcats out of their funk.
The fifth-year player hit Chris Hunter in front of two defenders for a 38-yard touchdown pass, then took advantage of a blown coverage to find Mizell for a 14-yard score. Tre Spivey electrified the crowd with a spectacular one-handed 10-yard touchdown catch through a defender and Caleb Smith kept it going just before halftime with a 69-yard punt return touchdown.
Fifita's 3-yard TD pass to Tyler Powell opened the third quarter put Arizona up 35-10.
Northern Illinois: The Huskies had their eyes set on a potential upset by jumping out to the early lead. Arizona quickly put an end to their hopes with four straight touchdowns.
Arizona: Fifita rallied the Wildcats after the ugly start, etching his name as one of the program's all-time greats with another sterling performance.
Northern Illinois plays at Georgia State next Saturday.
Arizona plays at Washington State next Saturday.
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Arizona quarterback Noah Fifita (1) celebrates scoring a touchdown during the first half an NCAA college football game against BYU, Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026, in Provo, Utah. (AP Photo/Tyler Tate)
