Liverpool star stays ready after rare omission

Virgil van Dijk says Mohamed Salah responded perfectly after being left out twice by Arne Slot — a 2-0 win over West Ham and a 1-1 draw with Sunderland. The captain called him ‘disappointed but vital’ ahead of matches vs Leeds and Brighton.

Liverpool looked solid but missed Salah’s spark — like a rock band forgetting to plug in the lead guitarist before the solo.