Liverpool’s top five have now scored 22 of their last 29 Premier League goals and that number will only grow this season
The identities of those directly contributing to Liverpool’s four goals to date will not have gone unnoticed by Jurgen Klopp.
Just two games into a Premier League campaign,
the Reds boss is hoping to be a world away from last season’s punishing efforts and his action-packed and star-studded front line deliver on the clear promise of him.
Two goals for Luis DÃaz were also added by Mohamed Salah and Diogo Jota as the Reds took four points from the first six scored at Chelsea and at home to Bournemouth. Salah and Jota can also be credited as creators having provided assists in the 1-1 draw at Stamford Bridge and 3-1 win at Anfield respectively.
It has been a more than encouraging start for an attacking contingent from which much is expected this season, with Liverpool already looking razor-sharp in front of goal. That was to be expected, as evidenced by the 18 goals scored in five pre-season games, but it bodes well for the months to come as three of Klopp’s five-man attacks are already up and running.
For Cody Gakpo and Darwin Nunez, midfield spots and substitute appearances have so far thwarted their efforts to break into the top scorers list, but there is certainly growing confidence in the side that Klopp has the power to ensure that the problems of last year are not repeated.
However, for these concerns to be truly resolved, much will depend on transfer market activity in the coming days as midfield and defensive reinforcements are sought. However, as the club look to strengthen other areas of the pitch appropriately, Klopp can take solace in the power of his attacking options.
Perhaps for too long during his tenure at Anfield, Klopp has had a clearly defined ‘first choice’ in the top three. The happy days of Salah raging alongside Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane will of course stay with us for a long time to come, but the drop in quality when any of these three players was rested was often evident, even when Takumi Minamino and Divock were included. Origi in particular should not be dismissed lightly.
However, what Klopp has now is a wider range of options and it’s likely the plan for next season will be a ‘horses versus course’ approach, even though the German has named an unchanged squad for Saturday’s win. against Bournemouth which started in west London. .
At Jota, Klopp has the hard-working and tactically flexible goalkeeper who struggled through an injury-plagued 2022/23 season in which he had to sit out a total of six months due to thigh and knee injuries. calf. The Portugal international has now made eight appearances in his last 11 Premier League games, with just seven starts.
Gakpo’s versatility allows the manager to choose an attacking midfielder capable of carrying the ball long distances, but the Dutch international, who has made a name for himself on the left side of the front line, is also in adapting his game in an impressive way. to replicate the ‘false’ 9′ roll that Firmino made famous at Anfield.
The electrifying Diaz has made a great start to the new season with two goals and as another player who spent way too much time on the treatment table last season, the Colombian looks like a man making up for lost time at Anfield. His absence last season – when he was jailed from October to April – was a major blow to Klopp’s team.
If Jota and Gakpo are the picks, then Nunez is the battering ram and, although limited to two second-half substitute appearances so far, his blistering pace and on-sight policy will be useful assets for the months ahead, especially against the teams that are didn’t like the idea of ​​going too deep against Klopp’s Reds.
Salah remains Liverpool’s undisputed point man and there’s a reason why of that now legendary triumvirate is still at the club. The highest paid player of all time at Anfield is worth every penny and once again should account for the lion’s share of goals scored this season.
The Egyptian’s effort in the win against the Cherries over the weekend saw him finish fifth on the all-time scorer list for the Reds with 187, overtaking Steven Gerrard. He is the first player to score or provide an assist in 10 consecutive games at Anfield and there is a good chance he will become the top scorer for the seventh year in a row.
“The most important thing is that we score goals,” says ECHO columnist and former Liverpool striker John Aldridge. “Even though we only have one at Chelsea, we’re getting there and it’s getting better. If Klopp gets the midfielder he wants,
you’ll see Dominik Szoboszlai and Alexis Mac Allister higher up the pitch.”
The balance above can improve if there are three instead of four. I think Gakpo played quite well on Saturday but he’s not quite used to that role in midfield and sometimes he doesn’t know where to go. The defensive midfield, we’ve had problems in the last few games and that’s what the club is looking for.”
With all five players fit and available for Klopp, dating back to mid-April when Diaz made his long-awaited return, the Reds have scored 29 goals in 11 games, 22 of them in that starting lineup.
That’s why such an impressive string of game winners gives Klopp a lot of confidence for the future, even if there’s still a lot of work to be done further back.
