Jurgen Klopp was asked about the “luxury” of his midfield choices after the 3-1 win over West Ham, and it is no wonder after seeing how influential and transformed the engine room now is.
It is not case of simply having a luxury of options for Liverpool, as it is more of a necessity if they are to be successful this season.
And in Alexis Mac Allister, Dominik Szoboszlai, Curtis Jones, Ryan Gravenberch, Harvey Elliott and Wataru Endo – all named in Sunday’s squad – they have a refreshed look.
And that list does not even include Thiago or Stefan Bajcetic.
The midfield won the battle against a physical West Ham outfit and, with the help of FotMob, we take look at the key numbers and stats from the latest win.
DOMinant in the middle
The midfield has consistently been a point of debate for Liverpool but their summer recruits continue to show the value of fresh legs and dynamism.
Mac Allister, Szoboszlai and Jones started their third game together and as a unit, completed 216 of their 228 passes (combined accuracy of 94.7 percent) – with their influence felt in both transitions of the game:
- Mac Allister: 86/90 passes (96 percent accuracy), plus an assist
- Szoboszlai: 81/87 (93 percent accuracy)
- Jones: 49/51 (96 percent accuracy)
But while they were efficient with their disposal, they also combined for eight tackles (Jones had more than any other Red with four), six key passes, two interceptions, two clearances and 25 passes into the final third.
Of those 25, Szoboszlai accounted for 10. He is everything we were looking for.
This midfield unit is finding their groove.
Mo does it again!
Another game, another goal and another reason to applaud Mohamed Salah.
By winning his penalty and converting with conviction, Salah has now either scored or assisted in 12 consecutive Premier League games.
And this is the second time he has done it! That makes him the first player in the Premier League era to do so, a consistent king.
If he either scores or assists in each of the next three league games, he will equal the longest streak which is a record he holds alongside Jamie Vardy.
This streak continued during what was a brilliant performance that ought to have ended with an assist, but his defensive work (six ground duels won) should also be admired. An exceptional player.
Forward-thinking Robbo
With Trent Alexander-Arnold still sidelined with injury and the inverted right-back role temporary shelved, Andy Robertson was able to come out of his shell and look more like himself.
Continually bombing up the left flank, Robertson ended the match with the most chances created (five) of any player on the pitch and was behind only Szoboszlai when it came to final third passes (nine).
He did make 10 ball recoveries, the second-most of any player, though his game high three fouls did invite unwanted pressure with James Ward-Prowse on set-piece duty for the Hammers.
Nevertheless, he looked like his old self.
12-0 after the break
Another 3-1 win for the Reds, the third in a row and the fourth of the season.
Notably, the Reds did not concede first – hallelujah – and nor did they concede in the second-half for the seventh time this season.
In fact, Liverpool’s record in second halves is 12-0 in their favour, while the first half is 6-6 across all competitions – Klopp really does have the magic words at the break!
In the second half against West Ham, Liverpool restricted the visitors to four shots – they had seven in the first – one big chance and zero corners, compared to the respective two and four in the first.
Now to take that same approach to the first 45 of matches!
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