Dominik Szoboszlai is the definition of an all-action footballer.
There was justifiable hype round his £60m switch to Liverpool over the summer time, although given the unstable document of current attacking signings from the Bundesliga, many understandably preached warning and warned of a possible settling in interval.
Szoboszlai has made a mockery of these recommendations, nonetheless, managing what Kai Havertz, Timo Werner, Leon Bailey, Naby Keita and lots of extra struggled to: swap Germany for England with out skipping a beat, making an immediate affect. Maybe most spectacular of all, he’s finished that in a staff in the midst of a full rebuild in midfield.
“[I like] what all people noticed: his power mixed with method [and] want,” was Jürgen Klopp’s early evaluation of the Hungarian. “He has just about all of the attributes you wish to see and the very last thing you’ll suppose if you see him enjoying is he’s solely 22, so there’s much more to come back when he settles in correctly.”
Wait… when he settles correctly? If that is simply the beginning, then darkish days loom for opposing groups making the journey to Anfield in a while this season.
Klopp’s reward of Szoboszlai was sometimes enthusiastic of a brand new signing, however under no circumstances was it airbrushed both – he actually does have “all of the attributes.” From availability and sturdiness, to versatility, to creativity, to sheer workrate, to goalscoring, he’s proven us every aspect of the sport.
He’s the one Liverpool outfielder to play all 900 Premier League minutes this season. When you think about the actual fact the Reds have performed three of their 10 video games with 10 males (or fewer!) for spells, that statistic turns into much more spectacular. Watching him throughout these video games is a outstanding expertise; he simply doesn’t cease operating, harrying, closing down, doing the work of two males in midfield and levelling the enjoying area nearly single-handedly. He ranks within the high two for distance lined in each single Premier League recreation Liverpool have performed to date.
The scope of his affect goes far past operating, although. You possibly can choose nearly any statistic, to measure any side of play, and Szoboszlai is probably going in Liverpool’s high three. He’s third for pictures (21), second for dribbles (28), first for passes (632), first for key passes (25) and third for tackles (14). From a league-wide perspective, he’s third for shot-creating actions (51) and fourth for profitable again possession within the center third (37). Who else delivers on such a big selection of attributes so persistently? On the degree he’s acting at, it’s robust to think about many.
Particularly in a Liverpool context, nobody can chain collectively ludicrous passages of play in the way in which he does. Not even Mohamed Salah can match his ball-striking method and long-range passing, which is commonly adopted up by the kind of lung-busting run solely he can produce. That’s no criticism of the Egyptian, whose targets and assists tally appears to be like mighty wholesome as soon as once more, however Szoboszlai is now positioned firmly on the centre of every thing Liverpool do, and it’s for good purpose.
His early affect is a serious purpose as to why, regardless of rebuilding all the center part of the staff and totally shifting on from Roberto Firmino over the summer time, Liverpool are comfortably a part of the title-chasing pack at this stage. It’s early days, however they’ve seemingly closed a good chunk of the 15-20 level hole to Arsenal and Manchester Metropolis from final season. And as Klopp has hinted, each Szoboszlai and Liverpool are prone to proceed enhancing from right here.
That’s a scary thought for anybody within the Reds’ path, from Europa League contestants to Champions League qualification candidates… and even perhaps Arsenal and Metropolis on the very summit.
