Klopp hopes Salah is close to ‘exploding’ form but feels Haaland comparison unfair

Salah shared the Premier League Golden Boot with Son Heung-min after scoring 23 goals last season, but has scored just twice in seven appearances this season.

The Egyptian’s diminishing returns have taken a toll on his side’s bottom line, with Liverpool 13 points behind City – with a game in hand – ahead of Sunday’s trip to Arsenal.

Haaland’s arrival has lifted Manchester City to new heights this campaign, with the Norwegian scoring 15 goals in his first nine Premier League games, and Klopp believes any comparisons with Salah would be unhelpful.

“With Mo, I hope it’s like us, we’re close to exploding,” Klopp said. “Whose season was it anyway? From our side – no one.

“Mo is like that, even if his goalscoring numbers aren’t crazy, a lot of the time he’s involved, it’s just that if you don’t score around it, nobody appreciates it.

“No one in the world can handle it [Erling] The Haaland situation, it’s crazy what he’s doing.

“He’s an exceptional player in an exceptional team and I don’t think we should compare anyone to him at the moment.

“Mo is desperate to score goals, 100 per cent, that will never change. Call him in 20 years, everything will be the same.”

Liverpool approach the trip to the Emirates Stadium having recorded two draws and one defeat in their first three Premier League away matches.

Since 2010-11, under Roy Hodgson, Liverpool have not won any of their first four away league games in a season.

Meanwhile, Saturday marked the seventh anniversary of Klopp’s appointment at Liverpool, with the German leaving each of his two previous posts – at Mainz and Borussia Dortmund – before spending his eighth year at the helm.

Klopp, however, insisted that Liverpool’s struggles have nothing to do with those of his former clubs, saying: “The situation at the clubs was completely different.

“The seven-year period was not planned, either because I lost energy or those things. I was the manager of Mainz and three years later we were promoted to the Bundesliga and three years later we were relegated.

“We tried for another year and the club needed a change. The players left us for the Bundesliga, so they definitely needed a fresh start.

“I was full of energy. I went straight to Dortmund and everything was fine. [It was] seven years and it was just a situation where players were constantly being bought by other clubs.

“It was very hard work, instead of developing the team, constantly taking two steps back. It was very intense and very exhausting.

“I can understand that I left after seven years and now we are in a difficult situation, but if you think about it, you realize that the situation is completely different.

“Being here for seven years is intense, no doubt. But it’s also nice, I’ve got so many things back. If there’s one club that has a chance to go through this together, it’s us.”