Since his £60m move from the Bundesliga, Dominik Szoboszlai has quickly settled into Jurgen Klopp’s dynamic midfield.
The young Hungarian’s move from Leipzig has made him an integral figure at the heart of Liverpool’s squad, especially in the absence of former captain Jordan Henderson.
According to FotMob, Szoboszlai saved an impressive 50 duels in the Reds’ first five rounds.
That’s 30 more than Henderson had in his first five league starts last season. Figures like these are testament to the 22-year-old’s dedication on the field. For those unfamiliar, Opta defines a duel as “a 50-50 contest between two opposing players during a match.” This can include punches, dribbles or aerial challenges. Out of 50 duels in which Szoboszlai participated, he won in 24 (48%) cases.
While Henderson had a slightly higher success rate of 55%, winning 11 of his 20 duel attempts, the sheer volume of Szoboszlai’s involvement shows his growing influence.
Szoboszlai’s notable involvement can be seen in the Reds’ 2–1 win over Newcastle, where he made 20 appearances.
That figure equals Henderson’s cumulative tallies against Fulham, Man United,
Bournemouth, Newcastle and Brighton last season. Stats like these highlight Szoboszlai’s ability to breathe new life into Liverpool’s midfield intensity, an element that seemed somewhat diminished last season.
Szoboszlai’s first days in the Premier League suggest an exciting development. Liverpool supporters will no doubt be keen to see if he continues this upward trend which could set new benchmarks in the coming months.
If current figures are anything to go by, the future looks bright for Henderson’s successor.
