Liverpool 1-4 PSV: Match Review
Liverpool face West Ham United in the Premier League but one of their main men will be walking a disciplinary tightrope.
It is one of the last things that will be on Arne Slot’s mind.
Never has the cliche statement of only focusing on the next game been so pertinent. Liverpool’s head coach cannot place matches in small clusters when it comes to forward planning. He is in the territory of needing results on a fixture-by-fixture basis after nine losses in 12 games in all competitions. Forget dropping out of the Premier League title race, forget the title being surrendered before December; getting a tune out of his team at West Ham United is crucial.
Perhaps a victory is not imperative to help ease the pressure. What Liverpool’s hierarchy will want to see is an improved performance. They may well be more accepting of a share of the spoils if the Reds produce a dominant display rather than a victory in a game that the visitors are listless.
But Dominik Szoboszlai might well have in his head that he heads to the London Stadium walking a disciplinary tightrope. The midfielder has been Liverpool’s best player this season, without a doubt. Poll supporters and it would be pretty much unanimous. Szoboszlai has hit the standards expected of him in every position he’s been deployed. It’s why some feel he could be a future captain.
However, Szoboszlai has so far picked up four bookings in the Premier League. Yellow cards picked up against Everton, Chelsea, Aston Villa and Manchester City mean that the Hungary international is one caution away from having to serve a ban. Per the FA's disciplinary rules, “any player who earns five bookings from their side's first 19 Premier League matches of a season will have to serve a one-match ban in the same competition. Premier League yellow cards are not carried over to the EFL Cup or FA Cup”.
Should Szoboszlai go into the referee’s notebook at West Ham then he will be suspended for Sunderland’s visit to Anfield on Wednesday. The Black Cats will head into the game after a 3-2 triumph over AFC Bournemouth - having fought from behind after trailing by two goals inside 15 minutes.
Conor Bradley is also on four yellow cards for Liverpool. However, the right-back is currently sidelined with a hamstring injury and is not expected back for another few weeks.
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