Mohamed Salah's gambling backfires for Liverpool while Amad Diallo's partnership with Bryan Mbeumo key for Man Utd
The Debrief looks at the risk as well as reward with Mohamed Salah's lack of defensive work, how Amad Diallo's presence at wing-back opens things up for Bryan Mbeumo at Manchester United, plus Lamare Bogarde's development at Aston Villa this season
Monday 6 October 2025 10:30, UK
Welcome to The Debrief, a Sky Sports column in which Adam Bate uses a blend of data and opinion to reflect on some of the key stories from the latest Premier League matches. This week:
- Risk as well as reward with Salah's role
- Amad's key role for Mbeumo at wing-back
- Bogarde's passing highlights his progress
Salah's gambling backfires
Mohamed Salah enjoyed the Premier League season of his life last time out, scoring goals and creating them to take Liverpool to the title. Speaking to Sky Sports at the end of the season, he explained the change made by Arne Slot to help him achieve that.
"Now I don't have to defend much. It is quite difficult to say one thing, but the tactics are quite different. But I told him, 'As long as you rest me defensively, I will provide offensively' - so I'm glad I did. It was the manager's idea, of course, but he listens a lot."
Salah held up his part of the deal in spectacular style last season but seven games into the new campaign there has been a dip.
After ranking among the top 10 for expected goals and expected assists from open play in each of the previous seven seasons - including topping both lists last season - this version of Salah, now 33 years old, is currently outside of the top 10 for both metrics.
It is partly a product of Slot's tweaks, a new attacking structure to incorporate Florian Wirtz and now Alexander Isak. But if Salah's numbers are not what they were then it changes the equation for Liverpool in terms of his limited contribution defensively.
He was one of the four players highlighted by Jamie Carragher for switching off prior to Crystal Palace's late winner at Selhurst Park last weekend. "They are not looking at the ball," he told Sky Sports. "They think the game is over, it's finished. That's a cardinal sin."
And when Liverpool suffered another stoppage-time defeat against Chelsea on Saturday, Marc Cucurella, the left-back who raided forward to provide the assist for the winning goal, helpfully explained how Salah not tracking back factored into the thinking.
"We know that Salah is already ready to attack, to play on the counter-attack, so we know, and we practise, and the manager tells us, that the space is maybe there," he told Sky Sports, before adding: "Today it worked and we can win the game in this way."
There had actually been an even clearer example of Salah's mentality in the build-up to Chelsea's first goal. He was stood right next to Cucurella during Chelsea's build-up but when the Liverpool man sensed a team-mate might nick possession he ran forward.
Cucurella made the opposite movement and was 20 yards ahead of Salah by the time Caicedo smashed the ball into the Liverpool net.
Salah is a special player and he will surely have many big moments to come. But after a series of dramatic late winners for Liverpool this season, this past week has been a reminder that there is a risk as well as a reward that comes with him not working back.
Amad and Mbeumo partnership
Mason Mount and Benjamin Sesko scored the goals for Manchester United in their 2-0 win over Sunderland, while the fans enjoyed the debut of goalkeeper Senne Lammens. But both managers mentioned one partnership that shaped the game.
"Their right side with Amad and Mbeumo," said Sunderland boss Regis Le Bris in the press conference. "They are really strong on the side." It forced him to make a tactical substitution in the first half. "We were not able to manage this part of the game."
Amad Diallo was particularly impressive in that right wing-back role, driving at the Sunderland defence from deep. "Every time he has the ball, one against one, he is giving us a lot of chances to score," said Ruben Amorim of Amad's fine performance afterwards.
His six dribbles were the most he has attempted in any game at Old Trafford under Amorim and equals the most by any Manchester United player in a Premier League game this season - matching the eye-catching debut of Matheus Cunha against Arsenal.
What that does is turn him into a genuine threat out wide, something that United lack with their other wing-back options. It also allows Mbeumo to drift inside where he can move closer to goal. Amad even laid on a chance for him this way in the first half.
"He can help Bryan to play more inside and worry more with the runs behind the defenders. We missed Amad a lot against Brentford, especially when we are at 2-1 in the second half. To have an extra guy like Amad, it is massive. We are really pleased with him."
That phrase "extra guy" feels pertinent because that is how it can feel. Amorim's 3-4-3 doesn't often allow Bruno Fernandes to get forward as he would like. It asks a lot of the front three to get the goals. Amad driving from deep gives United the thrust they need.
Bogarde's passing impresses
A word for Lamare Bogarde, the 21-year-old Aston Villa player who broke into the side last season filling in at right-back or centre-half. In his favoured position in the centre of midfield as Villa beat Burnley 2-1 on Sunday, he produced perhaps his best performance yet.
Following on from a mature performance against Fulham, the young Dutchman's passing took the headlines. Bogarde has a pass completion rate of 94.87 per cent in the Premier League this season, the third best of any player to attempt at least 80 passes.
He also ranks fourth for pass completion rate in the opposition half, showing that he can do it in areas where the space is a little tighter too. Against Burnley, it was his forward pass to Morgan Rogers that allowed his team-mate to feed Donyell Malen for Villa's second goal.
There was a carry that led to a Rogers chance just before the hour mark and a clever pass to Matty Cash that almost brought another goal. Press resistant with two good feet, Bogarde can move with the ball and nip in to win it back. Unai Emery praised him afterwards.
"Fantastic" is how the Villa boss described the performance of a player selected in the absence of Youri Tielemans and with Amadou Onana and Ross Barkley made to wait among the substitutes. "He was here when I arrived three years ago," explained Emery.
"Since then, until today, his development is clear. He was out on loan and then was not playing. Sometimes we were demanding of him, pushing him and punishing him sometimes. He has reacted fantastically and he is playing with confidence."
Keeping his place will be tricky given the competition in midfield but Bogarde is emerging as a versatile option for Emery in what will be another hectic season for Villa. He did not exactly burst onto the scene, but the fans certainly appreciate his qualities now.
