Three Liverpool players have played every minute of the club’s first five Premier League games this season, and two of their names are familiar.
The first is goalkeeper Alisson, who, barring any injuries, will be present throughout the competition, while the second is first-choice left-back Andy Robertson.
The third, however, may raise some eyebrows: new signing Dominik Szoboszlai. The $77 million (£60 million/€70 million) signing may still be adjusting to his new surroundings, but manager Jürgen Klopp has shown no signs of concern.
Szoboszlai has even surpassed Mohamed Salah in terms of minutes played, despite the fact that the talismanic Egyptian was withdrawn on the opening day against Chelsea, much to his disgust.
Szoboszlai is one of only seven players in the German’s tenure to have played the full 90 minutes in each of his first five Premier League appearances, alongside Robertson, Jol Matip, Ragnar Klavan, Virgil van Dijk, Ozan Kabak, and Ibrahima Konaté.
As you can see, every other player on the list is a defender, which is not surprising given that, barring an injury, managers rarely make substitutions in this area. Szoboszlai is thus the first midfielder or attacker signed by Klopp to accomplish this accomplishment in his ninth season in charge.
So why is the 22-year-old playing so much football at such a young age? There are several reasons for this, possibly more than his overall performance levels. Szoboszlai would most likely win a way-too-early vote for Liverpool’s player of the season so far. Klopp will already consider him as a difference-maker, so he’ll want him on the field, especially if the game isn’t already decided (and Liverpool has gone to the wire in four of its five meetings so far, including the 10 against 11 showdown with Bournemouth).
Another important aspect is his adaptability. Szoboszlai is capable of performing and prospering in a variety of roles, having already flourished for Liverpool as an advanced number eight and a surprise number six. Klopp frequently reshuffles his lineup late in games and employs unconventional formations, but his record midfield signing can adapt to them. It won’t be long before we see him on the right wing, where he used to play for RB Leipzig.
We should also recognize his tremendous energy levels. Szoboszlai was marketed as a marathon runner when he joined the club, and he has lived up to that billing, covering the most distance of any Liverpool player and the sixth-highest distance of any Premier League player, trailing only Spurs’ Dejan Kulusevski, Manchester United’s Bruno Fernandes, Bournemouth’s Philip Billing, West Ham’s Declan Rice, and Manchester City’s Rodri.
His unrelenting determination to chase back and assist the back four has been a characteristic of his early performances, prompting Klopp to label him a “machine.” He appears to have an infinite battery (via Mirror).
The Liverpool manager has previously decided to ease many of his new players in, but there are no grounds for delay in the case of Szoboszlai, who has already proven to be too vital and important.