In just eight days, Liverpool will play three “Big Six” opponents, and those matches could make or break the Reds’ chances of making the Champions League. Prior to this intimidating trio of clashes, one important man may have been underappreciated in terms of his significance.
Most teams would be terrified to face league-leading Arsenal, Manchester City, and Chelsea in a little more than a week, but there is no question that Jürgen Klopp’s team enters this run of games with a very specific goal in mind. With 12 games remaining and Liverpool currently occupying the sixth spot in the standings, it is clear that the Reds will have a tough time cracking the top four, as they will have to outperform both Tottenham and Newcastle United.
It would probably take a miracle for Liverpool to even have a chance of hitting this season’s end goal if the unthinkable happened and they dropped all three of their remaining games starting with their trip to the Etihad. The good news is that the Reds actually have a surprisingly strong record when playing against teams from the so-called “Big Six.” In ꜰᴀᴄᴛ, Klopp’s team is currently leading the mini-league for games between those teams this season with a total of 15 points.
That being said, it should not be understated how difficult it is to play back-to-back matches of this nature, and it is obvious that Liverpool will need to find it within themselves to revert to their Klopp-era form in order to keep this record. Based on the evidence of previous games against “Big Six” opposition, there is no doubt that a couple of key names will likely be significantly influential in accomplishing this.
Since August 2020, Mohamed Salah has been the most productive player in games against “Big Six” opposition, scoring 23 goals and dishing out 23 assists altogether to solidify his position as the most dangerous goal ᴛʜʀᴇᴀᴛ in those games. With nine goal involvements in “Big Six” matchups this season alone, it is reasonable to assume that, of all Liverpool’s forwards, the Egyptian would likely be the player most supporters would bank on scoring a potentially deciding goal in a game against Manchester City.
However, another Reds attacker, Darwin Nunez, has had a respectable record in the “big games” thus far this season, scoring against Manchester United, Manchester City, and Arsenal. Since his $79 million (£64 million/€73 million) signing, he has played a part in four goals against the “Big Six” teams, and he has also scored in games against Newcastle, Napoli, and Real Madrid. It is clear that he has given Klopp aʀᴇᴀʟ ᴛʜʀᴇᴀᴛ in crucial matches.
Liverpool’s most recent game against a “Big Six” opponent was a 7-0 victory over Manchester United at Anfield earlier this month. While a repeat of this kind of scoreline against their cross-city rivals is undoubtedly unthinkable, Nunez’s two goals in the match against the Reds’ toughest opponents were likely the pinnacle of what has been pretty impressive form in these games this season for their star summer acquisition. His strike rate of 0.57 goals per game, which is interestingly almost identical to his overall average of 0.55 goals per game in just seven Premier League games against “Big Six” opposition, demonstrates that he does not buckle under pressure in these high-profile contests.
Given his performance in these matches leading up to the upcoming trio of “Big Six” matchups, Salah is likely to draw all the attention, but it would be foolish for opponents to underrate the Uruguayan. His performance this year suggests that he might make a difference for Liverpool over the next eight days.
