Arne Slot hailed Mohamed Salah after the Egyptian star produced what the Liverpool boss described as an “unbelievable” contribution to secure a 1-0 win at Sunderland and match a historic club record.

Salah’s perfectly delivered corner in the 61st minute was met by Virgil van Dijk, whose powerful header proved decisive at the Stadium of Light. The assist was Salah’s 92nd in the Premier League for Liverpool, drawing him level with club legend Steven Gerrard.

Slot was quick to single out Salah’s impact, underlining the forward’s enduring importance to the team after a turbulent spell earlier this season.

“He has so many records for this club, but to have this one combined with such a great player – both were unbelievable players for this club,” Slot said. “Unfortunately for Steven, I expect Mo to go above him. I don’t expect, but I hope he goes above him.”

The praise marks a notable shift after tensions surfaced between the pair during a difficult period in Salah’s campaign. The 31-year-old had been left out for several matches amid a dip in form and later claimed the club had “thrown him under the bus,” admitting his relationship with Slot was strained.

Speculation over Salah’s future quickly followed, but the forward and manager resolved their differences, and Salah has since re-established himself in the starting line-up. His latest contribution served as a reminder of his enduring quality and influence.

The victory was only Liverpool’s second in their last eight league outings but carried added significance as it ended Sunderland’s unbeaten home record in the top flight this season.

The three points lifted Slot’s side to sixth in the table, just two points behind fifth-placed Chelsea and three adrift of fourth-placed Manchester United, boosting their hopes of climbing into the Champions League places.

“Very important,” Slot said. “I think we dug deep after only two days of rest, then going to a difficult away game. We showed again how well we can play on the ball.

“The character we have shown throughout the whole game was very good and that is why we leave this place with a 1-0 win.

“Second half, we had so many good moments and so many moments where we had quality players in promising positions. The overall performance in terms of work rate was really good.”

However, the win was tempered by an injury setback. Japan midfielder Wataru Endo was stretchered off in the first half, adding to Liverpool’s growing list of absentees.

Endo had been filling in at right-back due to injuries to Conor Bradley and Jeremie Frimpong, while Dominik Szoboszlai is serving a suspension.

“We don’t expect a positive outcome. Like I said, we have to wait and see. We expect not to have him for quite a long time,” Slot said.

“That is not the first time with our right full-backs. We have accepted this every time. We have to find solutions to keep performing well.”