Arne Slot said that it is a reflection of just how good Mohamed Salah has been this season that people are taking notice of him being on a four-game goalless run for Liverpool.
The Egypt international has scored 32 goals this term but his only goals in his last seven appearances for the Reds came from the penalty spot against Southampton last month.
Salah drew another blank at Craven Cottage on Sunday as Liverpool fell to a 3-2 defeat by Fulham, and he missed a presentable opportunity when the Reds were 3-1 down, sending a half-volley well over the crossbar with his right foot from eight yards out.
Despite his star man’s struggles of late, Slot is not concerned by Salah’s drop in form. He told the BBC: “Maybe he should see it as a compliment [that people are talking about it] because his numbers were not normal [when he was scoring]. The good thing about Mo is he knows what kjnd of player he is. Mo will show up again, I don’t worry about that.”
Slot also addressed Salah’s recent goal drought during his pre-match press conference, explaining that the difficulty of Liverpool’s fixtures had been a contributing factor to the forward struggling to find the net.
“Sometimes the fixture list is more difficult than at other periods,” Slot said. “PSG are one of the best teams in Europe at the moment. Newcastle were all over us in the Carabao final and Everton were so difficult with 10 people in their own 18-yard box all the time.
“I know Mo, he lives for goals. It would be weird if he was happy not scoring but probably his biggest quality is he can play a poor game and still score so his head is not all over the place.
“That is why he scores so many, because he wants it so much. Yes, there were probably periods this season he smiled a bit more but that’s not just him, it’s all the players.”
Salah’s last club goal from open play came at the Etihad Stadium, when he scored in the first half of a 2-0 victory over Manchester City on February 23.
At that point, he was the firm favorite to win the 2025 Ballon d’Or but his chances have diminished in recent weeks as a result of Liverpool’s Champions League exit.
Barcelona star Raphinha and Real Madrid’s Kylian Mbappe are now the joint favorites, with Salah the fourth favorite behind Ousmane Dembele, who is enjoying a brilliant season with Paris Saint-Germain.
