Mohamed Salah Faces Criticism After Misfired Free Kick Against Manchester City
During a match between Liverpool and Manchester City on Sunday, February 9, 2026, Egyptian forward Mohamed Salah drew the ire of fans after executing a free kick that commentators described as potentially the "worst free kick in history."
Salah had an opportunity from a set piece just before his teammate Dominik Szoboszlai scored a brilliant goal. However, Salah's attempt sailed far over the stands and into the crowd of Liverpool supporters.
The NBC Sports commentators, Joe Speight and Lee Dixon, struggled to contain their laughter, with Dixon, a former Arsenal player with 458 appearances, quipping, "I think I know what Salah was trying to do here."
The incident spurred a wave of mockery on social media, with one fan posting on "X": "That could be the worst free kick in history," while another joked, "Salah's ball landed in my grandmother's garden."
Despite being Liverpool's third-highest all-time scorer, Salah is still in search of his first free kick goal for the club, adding to the pressure surrounding his performance.
As for the match outcome, Manchester City turned around an initial 0:1 deficit against Liverpool, ultimately winning 2:1 thanks to a last-minute penalty from Erling Haaland, keeping the pressure on Arsenal, the Premier League leaders.
