Arne Slot is adamant Mohamed Salah is not being affected by his mini-goal drought as the Liverpool forward looks to equal Thierry Henry as a four-time Premier League Golden Boot winner. Salah is the top-flight's leading goalscorer with 27 goals in 30 appearances, six ahead of nearest challenger Erling Haaland who is currently sidelined with an ankle complaint.
However, the Egyptian fired blanks in the Champions League round of 16 second leg loss to Paris Saint-Germain, the League Cup final reverse to Newcastle United and last Wednesday's 1-0 Premier League win over Everton.
Salah hasn't gone four games without scoring for Liverpool since he ended a five-game barren spell with a strike in a 2-0 Anfield derby win against Everton in February 2023.
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And Reds boss Slot admits it wouldn't be a surprise if the 32-year-old netted on Sunday at Fulham with Liverpool looking to edge nearer a record-equalling 20th championship.
"I think he’s smiled less (lately) because we went out of the Champions League and we lost the final, so all of the players smiled less than when you do go through to the next round," said the Liverpool head coach. "It has nothing to do with not scoring a goal.
"For me it’s simple. Sometimes the fixture list is more difficult than other periods of the season - so you face Paris Saint-Germain, Newcastle in a final and a derby. He hasn’t scored in three, so that’s why he has to score on Sunday (laughs). Hopefully he will.
"Paris Saint-Germain is one of the best teams in Europe at the moment, Newcastle in the final, oof, they were all over it, and Everton, with 10 people in their own 18-yard box all the time, it’s so difficult to score a goal against them - not only for us, look back at all the teams, expected goal value, chances created. Goals scored against is difficult for everyone."
Salah is out of contract at the end of the season although talks are ongoing over a new deal with Liverpool hopeful of reaching a resolution that would see the forward extend his eight-year stay at Anfield.
He was the outright Premier League Golden Boot during his debut campaign at Liverpool in 2017/18 and subsequently shared the award in 2019 and 2022. Only Arsenal great Henry has claimed the honour more times.
And Slot added: "He (Salah) is completely the same but I know Mo, and you probably know him as well, he lives for goals. It would be weird if he was 'oh, I’m happy I didn’t score' but he’s not distracted or like 'I can’t play football any more'.
"No, Mo knows probably his biggest quality is he can play a poor game and still score a goal. So his head is not all over the place. Not at all.
"Of course he is disappointed with us not winning the final, not going through in Europe. That is why he scores so many goals, because he wants it so much. So, yes, there were probably periods this season he smiled a bit more but that’s not just him, that’s for Virgil, that’s for all the players."
