Under Arne Slot, Liverpool are all about control.
The Dutch tactician wants to minimise the chaos, dominate the space and own the ball.
So it is somewhat ironic that one of the most important players for the Reds this season has been Dominik Szoboszlai.
The Hungary skipper is pace and power. He’s full throttle, chaotic and he thrives in transitional situations due to his physical traits and gifts.
Despite all of this, being the antithesis of how Liverpool play under the former Feyenoord boss, he’s probably the first name on Slot’s team sheet this season.
Luis Diaz and Mohamed Salah both netted doubles for the Reds in the emphatic 6-3 win over Spurs on Sunday but it was Liverpool’s No8 who stole the show against Ange Postecoglou’s entertainers.
Szoboszlai scored and assisted but had a hand in a further two goals for the league leaders.
He finished the game with an expected goals (xG) haul of 2.11 from six shots. Only Salah could better that return with the Egyptian having seven shots with an xG value of 2.38.
The 24-year-old was, however, the most influential player on show though with an expected goals involvement (expected goals + expected assists) total of 2.63.
For context, Tottenham finished the game with an xG total of just 1.27.
Liverpool coasted to victory against a Spurs team that had, until Sunday, only lost by a one goal margin.
Szoboszlai completed 88% of his passes and 50% of his dribbles. He won 100% of his tackles, made one interception and won 100% of his aerial duels.
The versatile midfielder also competed in seven ground duels.
Few would’ve had the Reds in a title challenge this season. Liverpool were supposed to be adapting to a post-Jurgen Klopp world. Slot was supposed to need time to put his stamp on things.
The unknown futures of Virgil van Dijk, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Salah, all out of contract at the end of the season, was supposed to be a distraction.
Here we are though, almost halfway through the season, and Slot has his side five points clear at the summit with a game in hand.
The Dutch manager has given a new lease of life to Ryan Gravenberch as a holding midfielder. He’s got Alexander-Arnold putting in some of the best defensive performances of his career.
Diaz is scoring goals having been deployed as a centre-forward. Salah looks more dangerous than ever before having become the first player in Premier League history to score 10+ goals and claim 10+ assists before Christmas Day.
The one-time AZ Alkmaar boss has also tweaked Szoboszlai’s role in this Liverpool team and the No8 is now finally making the £60million transfer fee look like a bargain.
Earlier in the season, after a shock defeat to Nottingham Forest, Slot singled out Szoboszlai as someone who needs to be contributing more in the final third.
“I think something that we have to work on with him is that he’s also even more involved in scoring goals and creating chances for us. Last season he scored three [in the league] if I remember correctly and for an attacking midfielder at Liverpool his numbers need to go up.”
The former Red Bull Salzburg youngster has responded. He’s almost matched his 2023/24 Premier League goal involvements return (five) and there’s still 21 games to play.
But there’s more to it than that.
Deployed by Slot as a second striker in the 4-2-4 shape, Szoboszlai has effectively become this team’s version of Roberto Firmino.
He’s the system.
When he’s playing well, Liverpool play well. He’s the engine room of this team. The heartbeat of this title challenge. He supplements Salah on the right and his high-energy allows the Reds to defend from the front.
Szoboszlai might not be the free-scoring attacker he was in the Bundesliga, he had 28 goal involvements across two seasons, but he’s chipping in with valuable contributions.
He has six goal involvements across the Premier League and the Champions League. He scored against AC Milan and assisted against Bologna in the latter competition.
In the English top-flight, he’s chipped in with assists against Manchester United and Spurs. He scored the opener against Southampton away at St Mary’s Stadium and then added the all-important third goal against Spurs.
Do the Reds need depth?
This eye-catching showing against Tottenham arrived at the perfect time.
Harvey Elliott, back from injury, scored against Southampton in the Carabao Cup quarter-final, and there have been strong links to Lyon playmaker Rayan Cherki recently.
If the £25million-rated Frenchman arrives at Anfield, he’ll have eyes on Szoboszlai’s spot in Slot’s starting XI.
But Slot isn’t going to be blinded by goals and assists. What Szoboszlai brings to this team cannot be quantified. If Liverpool want to bolster their options to give the Dutchman depth and the best chance of winning the title, add a Cherki to things.
But he’s not going to be displacing Szoboszlai in the team anytime soon.
The Hungary international is the difference-maker, just not in the traditional sense. Just like with Firmino, he’s the sort of player who only really gets the appreciation when they aren’t on the pitch.
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