“A fantastic win,” declared Virgil van Dijk deadpan to the waiting written media. Then a big grin crept across his face. The pretence wasn’t maintained.
Liverpool could afford to see the funny side after a fourth straight Premier League victory lifted them to within two points of the Champions League places after 16 games.
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Christmas is a time for giving, and how grateful Van Dijk and company were for the generosity shown by the hapless Wout Faes, who became the first Premier League player to score two own goals in one top-flight game since Stoke City’s Jonathan Walters managed it against Chelsea in 2013.
What a strange introduction to English football for new signing Cody Gakpo who, at the final whistle, stood and applauded politely from the directors’ box. Jurgen Klopp’s side had 21 shots in beating Leicester City 2-1 but just five were on target and they triumphed despite no one in red actually finding the net.
That's a shocker! 😬 #LIVLEI pic.twitter.com/BakfVmadjo
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) December 30, 2022
Gakpo’s arrival from PSV Eindhoven for an initial fee of £37million (£44.8m) has generated plenty of excitement on Merseyside. The sooner the paperwork is complete and he’s installed on the left of Klopp’s front three the better because the absence of the injured Diogo Jota and Luis Diaz has dented their firepower.
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However, this was a night that reaffirmed just how crucial it is that Liverpool strengthen another area of the squad during the winter window that officially opens tomorrow (Sunday).
Once again, the lack of control in midfield was glaring.
There were big gaps for a depleted Leicester to exploit. Liverpool were far too open. It’s not sustainable if they are going to salvage something tangible from this season. They can’t keep riding their luck like this.
Yes, the issue was accentuated by the absence of Fabinho after his wife Rebeca went into labour. That meant captain Jordan Henderson was shifted into the holding midfield role with 19-year-old Harvey Elliott handed a start alongside Thiago.
But in truth, getting the right balance and shape in there is a dilemma Klopp has been wrestling with since the season started in August. Game management has been an ongoing problem. Liverpool’s back line aren’t getting sufficient protection and are exposed far too often.
“Controlling games is definitely something we need to improve,” admitted Van Dijk, who described the performance as “very poor at times”. “It was tough. We will discuss these things as a group.”
Virgil van Dijk says today's result was 'fortunate' and believes Liverpool did not perform well at all against Leicester! 😬 pic.twitter.com/DCJJVAxGxP
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) December 30, 2022
Leicester’s early opener was so avoidable.
Joel Matip was beaten by Harvey Barnes to Danny Ward’s long goal kick and Patson Daka was able to lay the ball off into the path of Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall. Henderson was too slow to react and suddenly Dewsbury-Hall had a clear run through to beat Alisson.
It was the seventh time Liverpool have conceded in the first five minutes of a Premier League game in 2022 — three more than any other side. That’s an alarming trend.
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Henderson, who struggled in the deeper role, lost possession on nine occasions in the opening 45 minutes alone. By the end of the night, that figure stood at 15. Elliott is immensely gifted but he wasn’t at his best before limping off late on.
Thiago shone like a solitary beacon in that troubled department.
He had more touches (112) than anyone else on the field, completed 81 of his 92 passes (88 per cent) and won 12 of his 17 duels (71 per cent). None of his team-mates made more tackles (four) or interceptions (three). No one on the field was fouled more often (six).
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The former Bayern Munich playmaker, the only senior midfielder Liverpool have bought since Naby Keita’s arrival in the summer of 2018, oozed class and that certainly bodes well for the challenges ahead, but who is going to help him out?
Can Fabinho break off the shackles and get back to exerting the kind of influence on games many took for granted prior to this season? He’s been a yard off the pace too often since August, but there were promising signs against Aston Villa on Boxing Day.
Keita got another half-hour under his belt here but it requires a serious leap of faith to believe he will stay fit and make a significant difference between now and the summer, when his contract runs out.
The same goes for Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, who has made back-to-back top-flight starts for the first time in just shy of a year on the left of the front three. He is a midfield option for Klopp, especially when Gakpo is available, but doubts over his endurance as well as his ability to provide a real spark persist.
Oxlade-Chamberlain still hasn’t completed 90 minutes in the Premier League since April 2018. It’s been 11 months since he contributed either a goal or an assist. He’s playing for a future elsewhere.
Then there’s Curtis Jones, who is on the way back from another injury setback, and James Milner, who turns 37 next week. On-loan Juventus midfielder Arthur Melo is continuing his rehab following thigh surgery in October. Teenager Stefan Bajcetic enjoyed another lively cameo last night but it would be wrong to burden him with too much expectation in the short term.
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It’s not a question of numbers in midfield for Liverpool, it’s more about durability and quality.
“We know what we want to do and we will see if we can do it,” Klopp said, when asked about the possibility of another January signing following the Gakpo deal.
Senior Anfield sources rubbished reports suggesting they had opened talks with Brighton over Moises Caicedo. They were similarly dismissive over speculation linking Liverpool with Benfica’s Enzo Fernandez, who would cost in excess of £100million ($121m) after helping Argentina win the World Cup.
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It remains to be seen how much money is left in the coffers after the Gakpo deal and where they turn to next. But sitting tight until the summer would be a big mistake.
Forget Darwin Nunez firing blanks. Yes, he’s had 13 shots across two Premier League matches since the post-World Cup restart and has yet to score. But there’s good reason to believe he will soon click. Anfield showed its unwavering support for him against Leicester, and he earned that with his perseverance.
The greater concern is at the heart of Klopp’s team.
Midfield is the real issue as we move into 2023.
Here was further evidence of the need to dip into the market and find a suitable solution.
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(Photo: Naomi Baker/Getty Images)
