Forget Gravenberch: Liverpool’s ‘brilliant’ 72-touch monster went under the radar v Man City | OneFootball

There may have been a few brows raised at Arne Slot’s decision to restore Dominik Szoboszlai to the starting lineup against Manchester City.

The Hungarian came in for Curtis Jones despite the England international having produced a number of remarkable performances for club and country in recent weeks.

It was a move that evidently paid dividends, as the former RB Leipzig midfielder helped power Liverpool to a seventh consecutive victory on Sunday across all competitions.

Dominik Szoboszlai justified Arne Slot’s backing

(Pictures courtesy of ESPN FC)

Craig Burley credited the 2023 summer signing with a ‘brilliant’ display against Pep Guardiola’s side at the weekend.

“That midfield now where it’s Curtis Jones coming in and Dominik Szoboszlai who has been a little off-colour this year but was brilliant today, with Gravenberch and Mac Allister,” the 53-year-old told ESPN FC.

“A few slack passes from Mac Allister but he’s a very good player. Gravenberch has been the big story hasn’t he?

“That’s an engine room now. That is the hub of everything that’s going on.”

Statistically, Sofascore considered Szoboszlai the third-best player on the pitch with a rating of 7.5/10:

→ 72 touches

→ 83% pass success rate (48/58)

→ 4 key passes

→ 2/4 ground duels won

→ 2/2 aerial duels won

→ 1 interception

Midfield is the least of Liverpool’s problems

Jorg Schmadtke quite probably deserves a belated bonus for his involvement in rebuilding what was a beleaguered, out-of-date Liverpool midfield back in the 2023 summer transfer window.

As tired legs, in the form of Jordan Henderson and Fabinho, left the club, the Reds bought extremely smartly with the additions of Szoboszlai, Alexis Mac Allister and Ryan Gravenberch. Even Wataru Endo, effectively brought in as an emergency holding midfielder, has more than proved his worth at the cost of £16.2m.

Now in our Hungarian No.8, we’ve got genuine drive, energy and dynamism that is already proving a difference maker in the middle of the park.

It’s perhaps quite a bold claim to make, but between various injury issues and contract concerns in the forward and back lines, the midfield is arguably the least of our concerns at present.

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