Very few Liverpool players have performed in recent weeks for Arne Slot's side.placeholder image
Very few Liverpool players have performed in recent weeks for Arne Slot's side. | Getty Images
There are very few Liverpool players who can claim to have performed anywhere near their best in recent weeks
Liverpool are currently on their worst run of form in 72 years, and the dismal performances have spread across Arne Slot’s side as the champions fell into the bottom half of the Premier League table.
Isak has not shown anything close to the player he was at Newcastle United in his limited time on the pitch, Wirtz is struggling with the pace and physicality of the division and appears to make the side unbalanced, and Kerkez has seen his youth and inexperience come to the fore as he has looked out of his depth at Anfield.
But as the weeks have gone on, the poor performances have spread throughout the side. Ibrahima Konate has made several poor errors amidst accusations of his head being elsewhere, while centre-back partner Virgil van Dijk has struggled to match his former heights and was one of the chief culprits as the Reds lost 4-1 at home to PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League on Wednesday.
Mohamed Salah has looked like a shadow of his former self at times, and only truly impacted proceedings on a handful of occasions following last year’s prolific campaign.
Truthfully, only two Liverpool players can hold their heads up high for their performances across the season so far.
Dominik Szoboszlai has become a source of inspiration for Liverpool so far this season
Considering Dominik Szoboszlai’s key role within Slot’s Liverpool side this campaign, it is easy to forget that the Hungarian was potentially attempted to be replaced in the XI over the summer when Wirtz arrived at Anfield.
While Salah was so often the go-to man when Liverpool needed inspiration last season and has been across his time at the club, Szoboszlai has often led the Reds from a creative sense this term, despite appearing across the midfield positions and even at right-back.
But no matter where he has played, he has put his imprint on matches and continued to fight when others have not. His form has even seen shocking links to Real Madrid and Manchester City emerge, which may seem far-fetched at present – but could become a fear if this slump continues and the Reds somehow fail to qualify for Europe.
But the Hungary captain has undoubtedly shown his worth to Slot this campaign and become a firm favourite throughout a highly challenging few months for the club.
Federico Chiesa has also made his mark in tough few months for Liverpool
Another man who can hold his head up high for Liverpool, particularly considering the position his career was in at the beginning of the season, is Federico Chiesa.
The Italian was a big fans’ favourite last term but had yet to see his hype justified on the pitch, until he stepped up off the bench to score an 88th-minute winner against Bournemouth on the opening day. His key contributions have not stopped there, as the former Juventus star also scored a late equaliser at Crystal Palace and laid the ball on a plate for Cody Gakpo’s leveller against Manchester United.
Despite playing just 380 minutes so far this season – 139 in the Premier League, which is already more than his total last season – he has bagged two goals and three assists, while also managing to put himself about and get in the faces of the opposition whenever called upon by his head coach.
Chiesa has transformed from a squad player on the periphery last season to a major impact substitute this time around, and his role could only increase to a more regular starting one in the coming weeks if team performances continue as they have been. The 28-year-old has earnt his chance to impact games and to see his role at the club grow yet further.
Whether some of Liverpool’s biggest stars can take inspiration from Szoboszlai and Chiesa and step up in the coming weeks remains to be seen, but what is for sure is that the pair can take none of the blame for what has gone wrong so far this season.
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