RATINGS:
Alli 6.0 - nervous start, was he rattled by the Saudi bid? Saved us a few times later on.
Virgil 6.5 - he’s become a solid stay-at-home defender as opposed to a dominant physical monster. Which is fine if he has younger legs around him.
Konate 6.5 - overall impressive bar a couple of missed challenges here and there. Irreplaceable.
Robbo 7 - happy to be “proven wrong” (at least for now) about his LCB/LB hybrid role - in this game he managed to be a factor in attack as well as attending to his defensive duties. Let’s hope we’re seeing a sustainable upturn in form.
Trent 6 - other than the first goal, didn’t do too much wrong, but he’s clearly far from his best form at the start of the season. Where did the Trent from April-May go?
MacAllister 6.5 - sending off was a disgrace; controlled the game for us. People are saying he is “wasted” at #6 - I’m not so sure. I think he likes playing deep and is good at it. He just needs a bit more athleticism around him.
Gakpo 5.5 - almost no impact, which is disappointing for a player of his talent and quality. I don’t think this proves he can’t play as a #8, I think the reason it hasn’t been successful so far is the general uncertainty around the midfield means he has to focus more on the defensive tasks and take fewer risks, which takes away from his natural game.
Szoboszlai 7.5 MOTM - it was great to see him gradually growing in confidence, from playing within himself at the start to trying more and more audacious things which he certainly has in his locker. Let’s hope he can take this momentum into next games. Dropped into the double-pivot with Endo after the sending off and performed that role with no issues.
Diaz 7.0 - close call for MOTM, ignited the team with his superbly taken goal, some nice passes and interplay with teammates. Reminding us why we were all so excited by him before the double-injury.
Jota 6.5 - blowing hot and cold all game, but at leaat his effort level cannot be questioned. +0.5 for the goal.
Salah 6.0 - on one hand, masterful in terms of dictating our attacking flow on the right side, was at the center of all the triangles and combinations (something Gakpo couldn’t get going on the opposite flank). On the other hand, inexplicable bad touches and poor shots in crucial moments. Needs to be taken off penalties; it’s clear we have 2 better penalty takers in the team now.
SUBS:
Endo 6.5 - not easy to come in virtually off the airplane into a hard-fought EPL game. Projected confidence; the teammates instantly trusted him with the ball and I like how he also trusted them (i.e. Szloboszlai as his covering partner) enough to take risks with challenging for the ball up high. Will need to judge his tackles better though, otherwise he’ll give away lots of free-kicks a la Lucas.
Elliott 5.0 - I think his role in the team now is finding an extra creative spark, which is something he did so excellently in the last game. This time the situation called for calmness and control and instead his mistakes invited more pressure. Klopp won’t make the same mistake again.