Mohamed Salah (33, Liverpool) was silent again in the final.

Salah started in the Carabao Cup (EFL Cup) final against Newcastle United on the 17th (Korean time) at Wembley Stadium in London, England, and played the full time but could not prevent his team, Liverpool, from a 1-2 defeat.

After conceding a goal to Dan Burn in the 45th minute of the first half and falling behind 0-1 to Newcastle, Liverpool allowed another goal to Alexander Isak in the 7th minute of the second half. Although Federico Chiesa netted a consolation goal in stoppage time of the second half, Liverpool could not change the course of the match which had already tilted towards Newcastle.

Ultimately, Liverpool players had to watch as Newcastle lifted the championship trophy for the first time in 70 years since winning the FA Cup in 1955. Liverpool aimed to win four trophies this season, including the league title.

However, Liverpool lost to Plymouth Argyle (second division) in the FA Cup fourth round, and also got eliminated in the UEFA Champions League (UCL) Round of 16 by Paris Saint-Germain (PSG). Now, only the Premier League remains.

There were evaluations that Salah's attack was disappointing. According to statistics company 'Fotmob', Salah, who played as a right winger, recorded only 23 touches during the 90 minutes of play. This was the lowest figure among players who completed the full time.

In particular, Salah did not attempt a single shot in the match. Naturally, there were no goals. Statistics company 'Opta' emphasized that it was "unusual" for Salah to play 90 minutes without attempting a single shot, as he failed to create any opportunities.

Fans emphasized that Salah has rarely performed well on the final stage. According to German statistics company 'Transfermarkt', Salah has participated in a total of 11 finals with his club and national team, but has only recorded two penalty goals.

The two penalty goals that Salah scored were in the 2019 Champions League final against Tottenham, where they won 2-0, and the 2022 Community Shield final against Manchester City, where they won 3-1.

British outlet 'Goal.com' questioned whether Liverpool star Salah would be eligible for the Ballon d'Or after the defeat to Newcastle in the Carabao Cup final, stating that "Salah has had an excellent season but was merely a shadow at Wembley."

[OSEN = Kang Pil-joo reporter]