Liverpool 4-1 Ipswich Town (Szoboszlai 11′, Salah 35′, Gakpo 44′, 66′ | Greaves 90′)
ANFIELD — It wasn’t that he was doing anything particularly badly, but more that it was not all that easy to decipher what Dominik Szoboszlai was brought to Liverpool for.
During his first season on Merseyside, some thunderbolts with power rarely generated by human kind suggested his long-range shooting and willingness to go for goal from all angles were behind the club’s decision to splurge £60m. But those efforts dwindled as the campaign wore on.
As a result, Liverpool’s lack of investment in the summer transfer market raised even more eyebrows – why were the club putting so much faith in a figure without discernible game-effecting traits?
The Hungarian’s first five league starts in an attacking midfield role this season delivered eight shots at goal, only adding to the doubts over his worth to the side. However, something in the last few months, really has changed.
Coming into Saturday’s clash with Ipswich, Szoboszlai’s previous five appearances in that advanced position produced a colossal 24 shots at goal– six against Tottenham and seven at Brentford in his last two league outings for the Reds.
These are coming from all angles, and distances, too – low xG. But with everything else going so well around him, Szoboszlai has been granted licence to thrill, and it is working.
Four more followed on Saturday, more than any other player, with one arrowed strike setting Liverpool on their way to the most comfortable victory.
The finish for his third league goal of the season 11 minutes in was pinpoint, with that added trademark Szoboszlai power, leaving Ipswich stand-in stopper Christian Walton with no chance.
Ibrahima Konate’s pass into Szoboszlai left the 24-year-old with plenty to do, but with one shimmy and a bullet-like left foot, Liverpool had the lead they were never going to relinquish.
“At the beginning of the season, he would have played another pass to Mo [Salah] in that position,” Arne Slot said. “That is normally a good choice as Mo would likely score.
“Now he has decided to go himself and score himself, which is so nice for him because, in my opinion, he is underrated. He does not get enough credit for how important he is to this team.”
Goals from Salah, the Egytpian moving above Thierry Henry and into seventh in the all-time top Premier League goalscoring charts, and Cody Gakpo, put the game to bed before the break, with Szoboszlai having a hand in the game-clinching third.
This enabled Slot to rest some of his star players with the Ipswich put to the sword, with the fact Szoboszlai’s name was first up rather telling.
Curtis Jones’ fine season means that Szoboszlai may not necessarily start every week, but when in the kind of form he has produced of late, offering a previously-unseen goal threat, the England international will have his work cut out to dislodge his Hungarian counterpart.
It helps that Ryan Gravenberch, who has been moulded into the safest pair of hands as a holding midfielder, alongside the imperious Alexis Mac Allister behind him offer Szoboszlai or Jones the perfect platform to push forward.
Now that Liverpool have such a settled midfield protectorate, Szoboszlai can venture forward without major fear of his team being overran behind him.
The task now is to turn those shots into more regular goals. He has already matched his league total from last season before January is out. The power and precision are there, as now, more pertinently, is the confidence.
Since he joined the club, Szoboszlai has now scored more goals from outside the box in all competitions than any other player for Liverpool.
In a side that seemingly can do no wrong on their cruise towards another Premier League title, a burgeoning Szoboszlai really is starting to justify that hefty transfer fee.
from Football - The i Paper https://ift.tt/2O6shpA
Post a Comment
EmoticonClick to see the code!
To insert emoticon you must added at least one space before the code.