A brace from Mohamed Salah plus targets from Curtis Jones and Cody Gakpo ensured Liverpool acquired their 2024 off to a flying begin on New 12 months’s Day.
Their 4-2 win over Newcastle United at Anfield ensured that the Reds took a 3 level lead on the high of the Premier League desk heading into the second half of the season.
This is 90min’s 4 key takeaways from the spectacular victory.
Plenty of what Darwin Nunez does throughout a recreation is excellent. He hyperlinks play effectively, he stretches defences along with his constant runs in-behind, and his hold-up is bettering with every passing week.
The one factor he does not do effectively, nevertheless, is an important factor of all for a striker: scoring targets.
Nunez has now scored only one objective for the reason that begin of November, with no different participant within the Premier League spurning extra massive possibilities than him to this point this season – lacking 18 in complete to this point.
Monday night time’s recreation was one other instance of Nunez’s struggles in entrance of objective because the striker spurned one other 1.7 xG value of possibilities and with the scores locked degree till the 74th minute mark, it appeared like his frugality in entrance of objective would find yourself costing Liverpool.
Finally, Klopp’s determination to hook Nunez and produce on Diogo Jota and Cody Gakpo proved to be key because the latter bagged an necessary third objective whereas the previous received a penalty and registered an help.
With Nunez struggling in entrance of objective and Gakpo and Jota impressing off the bench, it is certainly time for Klopp to make some adjustments to Liverpool’s beginning ahead line.
Your response to that sub-heading was: ‘effectively duhhhh‘.
And rightfully so, however we’ll say it anyhow.
Mohamed Salah is the most effective participant within the Premier League proper now, and his 22 objective contributions in 20 video games are the principle purpose why Liverpool are sitting atop of the desk. He as soon as once more proved to be the distinction maker for the Reds towards Newcastle on New 12 months’s Day, bagging a brace and an help throughout a mesmeric second half efficiency.
Sadly the sport towards Newcastle would be the final Salah will play for Liverpool for a couple of weeks because of AFCON and whereas Klopp does have loads of high quality choices in assault, none of them are fairly Salah, are they?
Manchester Metropolis are probably the most spectacular group within the Premier League; Liverpool are the funnest. It has been that method ever since Pep Guardiola took over on the Etihad and Jurgen Klopp took over at Anfield.
Whereas Man Metropolis are persevering with to squeeze the life out of groups with ball retention, Liverpool are killing groups by sheer quantity of possibilities created.
On Monday, Liverpool amassed a file 7.2 xG due to their 34 photographs on objective. All through the season to this point, the Reds have really taken 55 extra pops at objective than every other group within the league.
What Liverpool are doing is outrageous, and an absolute pleasure to observe.
Having been a squad for a lot of his Liverpool profession to this point, evidently Curtis Jones has now firmly cemented his place within the beginning lineup.
And deservedly so.
With Alexis Mac Allister out injured, Ryan Gravenberch struggling to adapt to life within the Premier League, and Dominik Szoboszlai enduring a dip in type, Jones’ work charge and high quality on the ball have ld to him turning into arguably the Reds most necessary midfield participant in latest weeks.
The 22-year-old must be one of many first names on the teamsheet for the remainder of the season.
