Van Dijk: ‘Mo is a world-class player, goals will come for Liverpool’

Mohamed Salah will start scoring soon to fuel Liverpool’s Premier League title challenge, according to defender Virgil van Dijk. The Netherlands defender has backed his Reds teammate to start scoring again soon.

Liverpool are two points clear of Manchester City, although the defending champions have a game in hand, going into the international break after their late 2-1 victory over Fulham at Craven Cottage on Sunday.  But the form of Salah has been questioned with the striker having only scored once in all competitions in the past two months.

The Egypt international missed a number of opportunities against the Cottagers to extend his run without finding the back of the net to seven matches. That is the longest barren run since Salah joined Liverpool and means he remains one effort short of reaching a half-century of goals in the Premier League for the Merseysiders.

Jurgen Klopp has defended Salah’s performance levels on a number of occasions but accepted the forward could have played better in last month’s goalless draw at Old Trafford.

Despite his recent dry spell, Salah has still scored 17 goals in the Premier League with only Manchester City marksman Sergio Aguero having found the net more times this season.

And Van Dijk is confident that Salah, rested from international duty by Egypt this month, will rediscover his scoring touch. “Mo is a world-class player,” Van Dijk told Liverpool’s website after Sunday’s 2-1 win at Fulham was secured by James Milner’s late penalty.

“People can say all they want but I think all the teams in the Premier League would love to have him in their side. We have him and I think he is playing well. The goals will come. That’s something for a striker that is maybe going to be in your head but we tell him every time: you just need to keep working, keep going and you will be fine.

“He’s still scored plenty of goals for us, to be fair, so it’s not like two – like me! It is like this.” Liverpool are back in Premier League action on March 31, with third-placed Tottenham the visitors to Anfield. Klopp’s Reds are also looking forward to a Champions League quarter-final with Porto after the international break.