Jurgen Klopp said he was not surprised to see Mohamed Salah become the first Liverpool player to score at least 20 goals in four straight seasons since club great Ian Rush after the Egyptian netted twice in Sunday's 3-1 win over West Ham United.
Salah's double took his tally for the season to 21 in all competitions and manager Klopp said the forward had an incredible appetite for goals.
"I'm not surprised. I work on a daily basis together with him (Salah) and he'll never stop having a massive desire for scoring goals," Klopp told reporters.
Salah cut in to curl home with his left foot in the 57th minute on Sunday for his first league goal since Dec. 19, ending a run of six Premier League games without a goal.
𝐉𝐔𝐒𝐓, 𝐖𝐎𝐖! 🔥
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) January 31, 2021
An 𝙖𝙢𝙖𝙯𝙞𝙣𝙜 breakaway goal, finished in incredible style by @MoSalah 😱👏 pic.twitter.com/FVIk8o9ozF
He doubled his team's advantage with a close-range finish 11 minutes later.
"He is a world-class player, there's no doubt about that. How I said in the last few weeks when we didn't score that many, the only thing you can do is try and try and try again. You have to make good decisions, or better decisions," Klopp added.
"Tonight he didn't force it. The first goal was a smart goal and in the last few weeks he probably would have tried to shoot through the legs, but this was really keeping the overview and chipping the ball into the far corner. Top-class goal."
Rush netted 20 or more goals in six campaigns from 1981 through to 1987.
Liverpool, who are third and trail leaders Manchester City by four points, host Brighton & Hove Albion in the league on Wednesday.
Reuters