Jurgen Klopp labelled Mohamed Salah “incredible” after the Egypt star ended his Premier League goal drought in style with two superb finishes to inspire Liverpool’s 3-1 win at West Ham on Sunday.
Salah had gone six league games without scoring until he broke West Ham’s resistance in the second half with his first goal in the competition since December.
The 28-year-old followed that fine strike with another eye-catching effort and his masterclass ensured Liverpool made it two successive league wins.
Salah is the first player to score at least 20 goals in all competitions in four consecutive seasons for Liverpool since Ian Rush in the 1980s.
Georginio Wijnaldum grabbed Liverpool’s third as Klopp’s side moved above Leicester into third place.
“What Mo made of Shaqiri’s pass was incredible. The first touch was unbelievable,” Klopp said of Salah’s second goal.
Liverpool are four points adrift of leaders Manchester City, who have a game in hand, and one behind second placed Manchester United.
After five league games without a win, the champions showed signs of emerging from their winter slump in Thursday’s 3-1 success at Tottenham and this was another step in the right direction.
“These boys are a really good group. They’re not happy at not being successful. They always have the right attitude,” Klopp said.
“We spoke about it in the last few weeks and maybe in the last week we have spoken about the right stuff.
“We have found a way to be uncomfortable again for other teams. It was a great game, very professionally controlled against a flying side.”
Liverpool’s previous away league wins this season had come at Chelsea and Crystal Palace and they inflicted more capital punishment on West Ham in their latest trip to London.
West Ham had won their last six games in all competitions and were unbeaten in their last six league matches.
But Liverpool squashed that streak emphatically, proving that the group who swept to the title last season shouldn’t be written off yet.
The Reds are rounding into form just in time for next Sunday’s crucial clash with Manchester City, which is preceded by a home game against Brighton on Wednesday. (AFP)
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