The Premier League watched with bated breath. Surely, this was to be the game that would unravel the Arne Slot revolution at Liverpool, who would collapse against the first test of significance?
Chelsea were impressive and their fans should be excited by the promise that has hatched from Enzo Maresca’s tactical implementation, but Slot has trumped the Italian at this stage, shaping Anfield into a force to be reckoned with.
Curtis Jones gave birth to a new level of quality and control as he scored and won both of Liverpool’s awarded penalties, albeit the latter being overturned by VAR.
The 23-year-old’s performance showcases Liverpool’s strength of depth and comments on Slot’s chances of winning silverware this season.
It wasn’t a perfect performance: Chelsea had plenty of success in midfield and succeeded in taking a foothold across portions of the Anfield clash. Dominik Szoboszlai produced an indifferent performance once more and must be sweating over his starting berth going forward.
Dominik Szoboszlai's performance vs Chelsea
Alexis Mac Allister lost his place in the starting line-up for this one, with Slot wary of overexerting his South American coterie, who had only days before returned from their home continent after the October international break.
It meant Jones was handed the opportunity to impress, and he took his chance superbly. Szoboszlai, however, has done little to shake off his detractors after leaving plenty to be desired with the technical facets displayed against the Blues.
Aside from squandering a promising chance in the first half, the 2023 recruit from RB Leipzig also failed to move away from anonymity, with his metrics from the afternoon depicting a bland, colourless canvas.
Minutes played
90′
Goals
0
Assists
0
Touches
49
Shots (on target)
1 (1)
Accurate passes
31/38 (82%)
Key passes
0
Dribbles (completed)
0 (0)
Tackles
0
Total duels (won)
7 (0)
Dribbled past
3x
Not great. It’s pretty damning that Liverpool’s thrusting midfielder failed to win any of his seven contested duels or even win a tackle, while also unable to attempt, let alone complete, a dribble, despite all his running. And moreover, his 49 touches yielded not one key pass.
His movement and presence did help to wrest control from Chelsea in moments, but it wasn’t enough to colour his performance in a positive light.
Luckily, Jones’ wonderful effort allowed Liverpool to grab the three points. Maybe on another day, Liverpool wouldn’t have seen the affair sway in the way it did, and Slot might be tempted to bench Szoboszlai for the next one.
Why Dominik Szoboszlai must be dropped
Szoboszlai’s high-class ability is indisputable, but it’s safe to say that he’s not applying himself correctly in crucial moments, appearing hesitant, and circumspect. Fans can likely draw several instances from 2024/25 alone when the Hungary captain should have thumped the ball against the netting.
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With Jones thriving, perhaps it’s time to relegate Szoboszlai to the bench for a couple of matches, probing him to harness that abundant talent and bring it together to give Liverpool the goals that they need from deep. Mohamed Salah and his forwards are excellent, but there will be a time when another dimension is needed to secure the points.
Against Chelsea, the 23-year-old certainly caught onlookers’ attention, with inews writing of Szoboszlai’s shortcomings in their post-match ratings: ‘Didn’t do well enough with a great chance on 37 minutes and was otherwise anonymous.’
Szoboszlai is a tireless runner but sometimes to a fault. His endless gas tank provides Slot’s engine with the energy it needs to outwork opponents, create space, maintain fluidity within passing passages.
It meant that he was handed a 4/10 match rating, and with Alexis Mac Allister starting from the bench after jetting halfway across the world, you worry about his starting place going forward.
Not least because Jones was so brilliant, so confident, so dynamic. Against Arsenal at the Emirates next weekend, perhaps Slot will value Szoboszlai’s energy and athleticism. But Jones’ movement and silencing of Cole Palmer suggest his form must be preserved. The former Leipzig man needs to be dropped.
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