Former Chelsea Star Hails Liverpool Duo After Claiming Salah Has Outshone Eden Hazard This Season

Former Chelsea midfielder Craig Burley has claimed that Liverpool's Mohamed Salah has outperformed Chelsea's Eden Hazard so far this season, but he believes that Virgil van Dijk and Alisson have been even better. 

Despite a slow start to the season, Salah has started to show the form that won him the Golden Boot last season. The Egyptian is the joint top scorer in the league with Arsenal's Pierre Emerick Aubameyang, and has helped fire Liverpool to the top of the table. 

Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA/GettyImages

Hazard has also been in impressive form under new coach Maurizio Sarri. The Belgian leads the assist charts with nine, and has also scored eight goals this season. However Burley, as quoted by the Liverpool Echo, believes that Salah has just outshone Hazard, though the pair are only his fifth and four best players of the season respectively.

“We didn’t see the sparkling Mo Salah that we did last year, which was going to be difficult," Burley began.

“But he’s started to get a bit of momentum again. The goals are coming, the performances are coming, he’s been excellent in recent weeks.”

Burley went on to name Van Dijk and Alisson as the two best players in the league this season, hailing their calming influence in defence. 

Shaun Botterill/GettyImages

“I know he (Alisson) made a big mistake in the game against United which he got away with but he’s been brilliant. The reason I’m putting him in is because he’s part of a rock at the back for Liverpool, now that has driven them to the top of league"

“Yes you’ve got Salah’s goals and Firmino and Mane and all them, that’s great, free-flowing, fantastic. But you need the other end of the pitch. Along with this guy (Van Dijk), it’s not all about strikers and it’s not all about goals - don’t watch the Ballon d’Or!"