After a 4-1 loss to Manchester City, Liverpool must pick up points in their next two games. With two games against ‘Big Six’ opponents coming up in the next week, one Reds attacker might provide Jürgen Klopp with some much-needed unpredictability.
Liverpool has an uphill battle to qualify for next year’s Champions League, with a second-half collapse at the Etihad highlighting the Reds’ inadequacies in comparison to recent seasons. It has been evident for some time that Klopp’s squad has suffered a severe dip in fortunes this season, with their eighth-place finish in the Premier League standings demonstrating just how far their star has plummeted since last year’s quadruple tilt.
With 11 league games remaining, Liverpool still has a theoretical outside chance of finishing in the top four provided things go their way and they can string a run of victories together. Even Klopp’s finest teams have struggled to win away from home against Pep Guardiola’s teams in recent years, with Liverpool’s last league victory at the Etihad Stadium coming in 2015, but it is fair to ᵴɑү that how Liverpool lost will be of primary concern to fans.
Overall, Liverpool’s first-half performance was measured, with the Reds’ counter-attacking style especially encouraging. The opening from Mohamed Salah, though, proved to be a false dawn, as the sloppy focus and defensive fragility that has been Klopp’s team’s downfall all season enabled City to score again in just eight minutes after the resumption after half-time.
In reality, there was a significant difference in quality between the two teams throughout the 90 minutes, with Man City collecting 68.7 percent possession, 17 shots to Liverpool’s four, and eight on target to Liverpool’s one. Moreover, Guardiola’s team had an xG (anticipated goals) of 3.17xG versus Liverpool’s 0.33xG, illustrating the Reds’ lack of substantial control throughout the game and, as a consequence, their lack of p/e/n/e//t/r/a/t/i/o/n in the final third.
With Darwin Being limited to 20 minutes off the bench, and the damage was already done — Guardiola’s side was 3-1 up and dominating possession — one can’t not but wonder whether the Uruguayan would have offered some much-needed unpredictability to the Reds’ a/s/s/a/u/l/t had he started the game. Diogo Jota did a fine job on the left flank of a three-pronged attack, with his streetwise assist for Salah in the first half a highlight, but his overall play was a little toothless at times, with the Portuguese forward struggling to get much p/u/r/c/h/a/s/e in one-on-one duels down Man City’s right flank.
Jota was successful in just seven of 19 attempted take-ons (36.8 percent), which was also his lowest total this season. Yes, he played a key part in Liverpool’s goal, but Manchester City’s defenders had his number more often than not. As compared to Nez’s season average, his proportion of successful take-ons is 64%, which explains why Liverpool appears more penetrative down the left flank when the Uruguayan is in the lineup.
Of course, Jota still seems rusty after returning from injury, but with a goal drought dating back to last season, Nez may offer greater d/a/n/g/e/r in that spot. With crucial games against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge and Arsenal at Anfield on the horizon, now is arguably not the time for patience, considering what is now on the line for Liverpool.
He seemed to be out of sorts, having been nursing an ankle laceration since the 1-0 defeat at Bournemouth, which justified his omission from the start against Manchester City. But, considering his record in ‘important games this season — he has scored against Ajax, Napoli, Real Madrid, Arsenal, Newcastle United, and Manchester United — it is clear that the attacker might be key in the next two games. Simply put, if he is healthy, he must play, and evidence indicates that Klopp would be negligent not to start him in both games.
At times this season, the former Benfica attacker has been dubbed an “agent of mayhem,” and his record so far this season suggests that he is a player who comes alive in important games. Except for Salah, no Liverpool player has more goals and assists versus ‘Big Six’ opponents this season, with his most recent appearance in one of these matches being against Manchester United, when he scored twice.
Undoubtedly, Klopp’s selection for the game at the Etihad will have been greatly impacted by Nez’s recent health difficulties, but Liverpool is swiftly approaching a win-or-bust position in the f/i/g/h/t for the top four. There is no denying that the Reds want results, and they require them fast. Nez’s opening games provide them the greatest opportunity of remaining in contention for a place in the Champions League.