Ian Doyle rates the Liverpool players for their performances over the title-winning campaign
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Liverpool players celebrate with the Premier League title. (Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images)
It isn’t just the best team who wins the Premier League. With nine substitutes on the bench per game and a relentless schedule, it has long been the most impressive squad that ultimately ensures a team gets over the line in first place.
Injuries, drops in form and suspensions all play a part, and Liverpool have been no different (despite what some myopic observers still contend). A total of 24 different players featured for Arne Slot’s side on their way to finally sealing the title.
And here the ECHO rates each of them out of 10 for their overall contribution to the Premier League campaign.
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Alisson Becker 9
The best goalkeeper in the world for a reason. While absent for three different spells through injury and illness, the Brazilian brought an air of assurance behind Liverpool’s defence and made key saves when required. Nobody is better when one-v-one with an opponent.
Caoimhin Kelleher 8
The most able of deputies between the sticks, who would walk into almost every other Premier League team. Filled in for the injured Alisson during a difficult period of fixtures in late autumn and helped Liverpool maintain their early-season momentum with solid performances.
Vitezslav Jaros n/a
The third-choice goalkeeper was introduced in the 79th minute as substitute for the hamstrung Alisson at Crystal Palace in October, and a clean sheet on his surprise debut was one of the most celebrated displays for the Liverpool coaching staff this season.
Virgil van Dijk 9
Ever-present on the road to the title, the skipper belied his years and speculation over his future by setting the example for his team-mates. Such was his dominant consistency that indifferent performances were rare enough to become a major talking point, while he popped up with key goals at Arsenal and home to West Ham United.
Andy Robertson 7
The Scot readily admits he wasn’t always at his best during the season, with a number of errors leading to Liverpool conceding goals, while there was also a red card against Fulham. But his form was impressive for certain spells, particularly when adding energy down the left flank.
Trent Alexander-Arnold 8
Another whose game could easily have been overshadowed by the chatter whether or not he would sign a new contract. A regular at right-back when available, he provided key assists at Newcastle United, Tottenham Hotspur and Brentford while popping up with big goals at Aston Villa and Leicester City. He will be a big loss.
Ibrahima Konate 7
Began the season on the bench but soon regained his place until a knee injury in late November ruled him out for five weeks. The France international wasn’t always at his consistent best on his return, but retained the faith of Slot as van Dijk’s main centre-back partner, and managed a goal early on in the season at Wolves.
Kostas Tsimikas 6
Forced his way above Robertson at left-back in April but before then had made just five starts in 31 Premier League games. It was therefore difficult for the Greece international to build rhythm, but his set-pieces were regularly a threat, most notably when assisting Diogo Jota’s equaliser from a corner at Nottingham Forest with his first touch having been introduced from the bench.
Conor Bradley 7
The youngster would have featured far more regularly but for two separate hamstring injury absences. But when involved, the Northern Ireland international largely impressed save a difficult first Goodison derby experience. He will be one for the future.
Jarell Quansah 6
The centre-back was the ‘victim’ of Slot’s first show of managerial intent when hooked at half-time of the opening day win at Ipswich Town, and subsequently rarely started in the Premier League. However, his defensive abilities from the bench became increasingly important, most notably in the second half of the nervy home win over Wolves in February.
Joe Gomez 7
Having flirted with leaving in the summer, the defender forced his way into the starting line-up in December with a series of impressive showings having helped turn the home game against Brighton from the bench in early November. But a hamstring injury at West Ham just before New Year ended his Premier League involvement.
Alexis Mac Allister 9
The Argentina international had already cemented his place among Liverpool’s all-time Premier League greats the previous season, but then moved up to another level. The scorer of some big goals – against Tottenham, Everton and Newcastle – his all-round game made the Reds’ engine room tick and is deservedly a fan favourite.
Ryan Gravenberch 9
The real revelation of the season since being transformed into a number six by Arne Slot. The Dutchman didn’t take long to learn his new positional and defensive duties which, married to his regular silky game and surprising physicality, made him extremely easy on the eye and, more importantly, effective with it.
Dominik Szoboszlai 7
A term of fluctuating fortunes for the Hungarian in the newly-established number 10 slot, although he remained very much a regular. Scored and assisted in key wins at Tottenham and Manchester City and was in good form in the first few months of the calendar year but, as with last season, looked leggy during the closing weeks before a late revival.
Curtis Jones 7
The first player to whom Slot turned when it was time for rare rotation in midfield, the versatility of Jones proved a major asset with the homegrown talent also starting on the left of the attack and at right-back. His performance against Chelsea in October when marking Cole Palmer out of the game before scoring the winner was a high point.
Wataru Endo 7
Minutes may have been sparse for the Japan international compared to the previous campaign, but he made the most of them by establishing himself as Liverpool’s ‘closer’ of games. The new James Milner in that respect.
Harvey Elliott 6
A frustrating campaign which promised much in pre-season before an injury on international duty in September left the youngster playing catch-up. His best run of Premier League appearances was six in a row at the end of the season.
Celebrate Liverpool's Premier League trophy lift and iconic parade with perfect souvenir
This Liverpool ECHO special edition looks back at a remarkable season, but is packed full of images from both the trophy lift at Anfield and the parade through the streets of the city.
There are features, reaction from players and staff, analysis of how the title was won as well as player ratings and a focus on the boss himself - Arne!
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Mohamed Salah 10
This, more than anyone, was Salah’s Premier League title. At the start of April, there had only been four games in which the Egyptian had not either scored nor assisted. There were big goals, too, including an equaliser at Arsenal, two at Newcastle, a goal and an assist in both games against Manchester City and his usual strikes against Manchester United. He slowed down a little in the final weeks, but by then he had done enough. Oh, and there was a new contract, too.
Luis Diaz 8
The Colombian winger was being touted to leave last summer, but started the campaign as first-choice on the left wing and responded with a goal against Brentford and braces at Old Trafford and home to Bournemouth. He was then switched to the number nine role which, despite two goals at Tottenham, was a case of diminishing returns before rediscovering his verve back on the left with key goals and assists in the decisive months of the title race.
Cody Gakpo 8
Gakpo wasn’t a regular starter until Diaz was moved to the central striking role, with the Dutchman responding with a superb run of form that saw eight goals and three assists during Liverpool’s busiest run of Premier League fixtures. However, after being sidelined by an injury suffered at the Goodison derby, he wasn’t anywhere near as effective until the closing weeks.
Darwin Nunez 6
The Uruguay international worked hard to fit into Slot’s ethos but it came at the detriment to his own natural game, scoring only twice in the Premier League before Christmas. His best moment came with his injury-time double as substitute to win the victory at Brentford in January. But while Nunez regularly saw action in the second half of the campaign, it was usually as substitute.
Diogo Jota 7
The Portuguese scored the first goal of the Slot era at Ipswich and was the first-choice number nine until picking up an injury against Chelsea in October from which he was sidelined for two months and didn’t properly gain full match sharpness for several more. There were, though, key goals to earn points against Fulham and Forest and a derby winner against Everton.
Federico Chiesa n/a
The summer signing was limited to precious few minutes from the bench, but was on the pitch for the late drama at Brentford.
Jayden Danns n/a
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Ten or so minutes as substitute at the end of the 4-1 win over Ipswich Town in January, but it was enough for the 19-year-old so say he had played a small part.