The St. James’ Park faithful might’ve been dreaming of a Tyne-Wear derby demolition, but up the road at Anfield, the real drama unfolded on the sidelines: Mohamed Salah, the Egyptian King who’s carried Liverpool on his back for seven seasons, caught on Sky Sports cameras looking every bit the banished pharaoh – hood pulled low over his face, shoulders slumped, staring daggers at the pitch like it had personally offended him. It was the second straight benching under Arne Slot, and in a 1-1 grind against a gritty Sunderland side that refused to roll over, Mo’s hooded hideaway became the match’s unintended star. Fans flooded socials with memes of “Salah in witness protection” and cries of “Give the man his throne!”, turning a midweek Premier League snoozer into a viral saga of sulks, strategy, and simmering squad tension. With Liverpool’s title defense wobbling after a rocky start, this “cover-up” moment isn’t just quirky – it’s a flare-up that’s got the Kop questioning if Slot’s rotation roulette is revolutionizing the Reds… or just rubbing their talisman the wrong way.

Let’s set the scene: It’s a blustery Wednesday night at Anfield, the kind where the Mersey mist clings like unfinished business. Slot, the Dutch tactician who masterminded last season’s shock Premier League triumph, names an unchanged XI from Sunday’s 2-0 stroll over West Ham – the one that snapped a three-game skid and had everyone purring about “continuity and freshness.” Alexander Isak, the £65m Swedish summer splash, leads the line after his drought-busting strike in London; Cody Gakpo and Florian Wirtz flank Dominik Szoboszlai on the right, where Salah’s boots would normally blaze. The bench? A murderers’ row of firepower: Salah, Federico Chiesa, Hugo Ekitike, and a smattering of youth like Trey Nyoni. “We need more than 11 players tonight,” Slot shrugged pre-match, eyes on the congested festive fixture list – Liverpool’s got Champions League duties against PSV next, then a Boxing Day bash at Old Trafford. Fair play, Arne. But when the cameras panned to Mo at the 12th minute, hood up like a moody monk, the narrative flipped.

There he sat, the 33-year-old phenom who’s etched his name into Anfield eternity: 250 goals in 420 appearances, three Golden Boots, a hat-trick of Player of the Season awards, and that iconic 2022 quadruple that had Klopp dubbing him “the best in the world right now.” But tonight? Salah looked small, shrouded in a black hoodie yanked low enough to eclipse his trademark beard, arms crossed, gaze fixed somewhere between the turf and total despair. Sunderland, buoyed by their improbable top-six push under Michael Beale, frustrated the hosts with a low block that screamed “park the bus and pray.” Isak fluffed a sitter; Gakpo’s curler kissed the bar; Wirtz danced but didn’t dazzle. By half-time, with the score locked at 0-0 and the crowd’s chants shifting from “Allez Allez” to “Get Mo on!”, Slot caved – subbing Szoboszlai for the sulker-in-chief. Salah emerged, hood discarded like a bad memory, and immediately ignited: A pinpoint cross for Gakpo’s equalizer, then a venomous drive that forced a diving save from Anthony Patterson. Post-match stats? Mo touched the ball 28 times in 45 minutes, created three chances, and clocked an 8.2 rating – impact? Immense. But that pre-sub hoodie? It lingered like fog on the Mersey.

Social media, predictably, detonated. “Salah doing that for the cameras,” one Kopite tweeted, racking 12K likes, while another quipped: “Mo Salah sulking on the bench like a big baby covering his head and making a point by doing so.” Memes flooded in: Photoshopped Salah as Darth Vader, or the hoodie morphing into a Pharaoh’s headdress. X lit up with #SalahSulks trending in the UK Top 10, sandwiched between Sunderland’s “survival special” and Slot’s “rotation roulette” jabs. Even rival fans piled on – a Mackem account posted: “From Egyptian King to Bench Buddha. Howay the lads!” But beneath the banter? Real concern. This was benching No. 2 in a week, the first time since Klopp’s infamous April 2024 touchline spat that Mo hadn’t started a league game. Last season, Salah was omnipresent: 32 goals, 22 assists, the heartbeat of Slot’s title charge. Now? With Liverpool leaking 21 goals already, fans fear the “rest” rhetoric masks deeper discord.

Slot, ever the cool customer, swatted it away post-match: “He reacts like you want – a top professional. Trains really good, positive towards his teammates. He’s an example when he doesn’t play.” No long chats needed, Arne claims – just a quick pow-wow after the Frankfurt UCL stinker. But whispers from Melwood paint a stormier picture: Sources say Salah, fresh off a two-year extension to 2027, was “fuming” after West Ham, texting Klopp-era holdovers like Virgil van Dijk for advice. Van Dijk, skipper and Slot’s defensive rock, backed the boss in his program notes: “We’re showing a better version of ourselves – trust the process.” Yet Liverpool legend Steve Nicol went nuclear on ESPN: “Big mistake if Slot starts him against Sunderland. The team’s clicking without him – let the kid rest!” Nicol? The ex-Red who knows Anfield’s pulse better than most. His take? Polarizing. Kopites erupted: “Nicol’s lost it – Mo’s irreplaceable!” vs. “Finally, a team beyond one man?”

The bigger picture? Liverpool’s in flux. Slot’s summer splurge – £250m on Isak, Wirtz, Ekitike – screams “post-Salah succession,” but the integration’s bumpy: Nine losses in 13 across all comps pre-West Ham, a UCL group teetering on the brink. Salah’s not just goals; he’s gravity – drawing markers, unlocking defenses, lifting the stadium. That hoodie? It wasn’t sulking; it was armor. A 33-year-old icon, fresh from captaining Egypt to AFCON semis, processing a shift from starter to super-sub in his contract’s twilight. Post-match, Mo was all smiles, hugging Slot and fist-bumping Isak: “Team first, always,” he posted on Insta, a shirtless gym selfie captioned “Back to work 💪 #YNWA.” But the image of that covered face? It’s etched – a reminder that even kings get cold-shouldered.

As Anfield empties into the Mersey night, the draw feels like a dodged bullet: Points salvaged, unbeaten run extended to three. But the real test? PSV away Thursday, where Slot might need Mo’s magic more than ever. Will the hoodie haunt us, or was it just a blip in the benchwarm? One thing’s clear: In a season of squad depth and dropped dreams, Mohamed Salah’s “cover-up” isn’t quirky – it’s questing. For minutes. For respect. For the roar that’s his birthright. Arne, the ball’s in your court. Don’t drop it.