Arne Slot is eager to savor Mohamed Salah’s contributions for as long as possible after the Egyptian forward delivered a stellar performance in Liverpool’s 3-0 victory over Manchester United. Salah, now 32, is in the final year of his Liverpool contract and hinted that this might have been his last appearance at Old Trafford. Despite this, he showcased his enduring quality by assisting twice for Luis Diaz in the first half and then scoring the third goal in the 56th minute.

In a post-match interview with Sky Sports, Salah reflected on his situation, saying, “I came into the game thinking, ‘This could be my last time here.’ No one at the club has spoken to me about a new contract yet, so I’m just treating this as my last season and we’ll see what happens at the end.”

When asked about Salah’s remarks, Slot responded, “There are a lot of ‘ifs’ in that scenario. Right now, he’s still one of our players, and I’m thrilled to have him. He played exceptionally well today. I don’t discuss players’ contracts, but I could talk for hours about how Mo performed today.”

Sunday’s victory marked Slot’s third win in as many games since taking charge, making him the first Liverpool manager since Bob Paisley in 1975 to win his debut competitive match against Manchester United.

Liverpool had an early goal from Trent Alexander-Arnold disallowed for offside, but they quickly recovered and dominated the match. “Everything you want to see as a manager was there in this game,” Slot said. “United started strong, and we had the disallowed goal, but we didn’t let it affect us. We kept playing, scored three, and could have had more. Alisson made two crucial saves, and our work rate off the ball was outstanding, making it a very positive day.”

For Manchester United and their manager Erik ten Hag, it was another disappointing outing. Ten Hag, who received a contract extension over the summer despite the club considering other options, was left defending his record.

“It’s just the third game of the season, and we’re in the process of building a new team,” Ten Hag explained. “I’ve said this many times—we’re integrating young players and new signings. We clearly need to improve, but I’m confident we’ll have a strong chance to win another trophy by the end of the season.”

United’s ongoing issues, evident last season and continuing into this one, were again on display as they frequently lost possession, allowing Liverpool to dominate the midfield.

When asked why his team keeps making the same mistakes, Ten Hag disagreed with the premise. “I don’t think that’s the case,” he said. “Otherwise, we wouldn’t have won trophies or beaten top opponents. I’m sorry, but I have a different perspective. I believe we’ve won more trophies after Manchester City than anyone else in English football.”

Before the match, United’s new signing Manuel Ugarte, brought in from Paris Saint-Germain, was introduced to the fans. However, his absence on the pitch was sorely felt. Casemiro struggled, particularly in the first half, contributing to both of Diaz’s goals before being substituted at halftime for Toby Collyer.

“We have to gradually integrate him into the team,” Ten Hag said of Ugarte. “It’s not like I’m Harry Potter; you have to understand that. Ugarte hasn’t played a single minute so far this season. We need to build up his fitness and then integrate him into the team. I’m confident he’ll become an important player for us.”