Liverpool welcome lowly Southampton to Anfield on Saturday afternoon.
While the Reds will still be giddy from their incredible Champions League victory over Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday evening, Arne Slot will no doubt have forced full attention back on the Premier League – there’s a 13-point title lead to defend, after all.
Saints, marooned at the bottom of the division, were thrashed 4-0 at Stamford Bridge last time out and are all but condemned to an instantaneous return to the second tier.
Slot will expect a comprehensive victory and professional performance, but with a slender 1-0 advantage over PSG, who ran roughshod over Liverpool’s seasonal reputation at the Parc des Princes (albeit with nothing to show for it), rotation is surely a given.
Liverpool were made to work against Luis Enrique’s side, under the cosh for the vast majority, so expect alterations.
Liverpool team news
Cody Gakpo was a late exclusion on the continent, having only just returned from an ankle issue, and while there’s hope he’ll feature next week against PSG, it’s unlikely Slot – who serves the second and final match of his touchline ban – will field him from the outset this weekend.
Diogo Jota fronted Liverpool’s attack in France, flanked by Luis Diaz and Mohamed Salah, but all three flattered to deceive and Slot may turn to off-the-bench hero Darwin Nunez, with goalscorer Harvey Elliott also waiting in the wings for his maiden Premier League start of the campaign.
Conor Bradley, Joe Gomez and Tyler Morton all remain sidelined.
While Liverpool’s gaffer has been reluctant to field wholesale changes this season, this might be an opportunity to do just that. For example, Ryan Gravenberch looked leggy and disjointed in midweek, and should be benched for the first time in the English top flight this season.
Why Slot should drop Ryan Gravenberch
When Liverpool failed in their bid for Martin Zubimendi in August, supporters felt more than a bit of anxiety after sources revealed Liverpool would not be jumping the gun and moving for an alternative.
To be fair, the alarm was just: Jurgen Klopp had gone, and with him the most illustrious of eras for the Anfield side. But Gravenberch stepped up, with one analyst describing him as “absolutely world-class” in Slot’s new Liverpool system.
However, the 22-year-old’s newfound powers have come alongside newfound responsibilities. The Netherlands international has started every single one of Liverpool’s top-flight matches this year, only missing the defeat against PSV in the Champions League too.
1)
Virgil van Dijk
38
3,417′
2)
Mohamed Salah
40
3,396′
3)
Ryan Gravenberch
38
3,241′
4)
Alexis Mac Allister
39
2,879′
5)
Trent Alexander-Arnold
37
2,707′
Is it any wonder he’s beginning to look sapped of his early-season vigour? At PSG, Gravenberch was culpable for a dismal performance, battling hard against the host tidal waves but distinctly lacking any control and fluidity with his passing.
He will, however, be required from the outset in next week’s corresponding fixture, and with that in mind, Slot might want to bite the bullet and take this essential cog out of his machine against Southampton.
No disrespect to the South Coast side, but a rotated Liverpool should have enough in the tank to beat off Ivan Juric’s men on Merseyside, and while Elliott may be eyeing a start in place of Liverpool’s quasi-ten Dominik Szoboszlai, there’s another midfielder who could take Gravenberch’s role in the deeper fathoms of the engine room.
The perfect Gravenberch replacement
Alexis Mac Allister has played a lot of football this season (see table above) but is one of the most industrious and stable players in Liverpool’s first team. He should start to provide a semblance of control in this likely-changed line-up.
Though he can operate as a six, Mac Allister would be better kept in his preferred box-to-box role, with another man stepping in to take Gravenberch’s place.
Curtis Jones has been a regular presence in Liverpool’s first team since emerging from the academy in 2019. He was one of the first to support Slot after the coach arrived in the summer, saying: ‘It’s probably the happiest I’ve been in terms of style of play.’
Slot’s genius can be found in the tactical nuances. Liverpool aren’t wholly different from the thrash-metal side of Klopp, but they are more composed, calmer and softer in phases, though devastating and electric when they do ramp up the gas.
Jones’ shift perfectly illustrates that, for such a technical midfielder, it is even crisper in possession and less energetic and erratic off the ball. His efforts this term have also yielded far more fruitful results in front of goal.
Goals
0.08
0.24
Assists
0.08
0.24
Touches
70.57
61.36
Pass completion
91.1%
93.4%
Passes attempted
59.85
51.18
Progressive passes
5.71
5.05
Shot-creating actions
2.78
2.33
Progressive carries
2.39
1.04
Successful take-ons
1.16
0.72
Ball recoveries
5.55
4.41
Tackles
2.08
2.09
Such first-class composure and accuracy on the ball bespeaks Jones’ value to this Liverpool team, and though he’s been fielded in advanced midfield areas this term, the vast majority of his career appearances have come from the very centre of midfield (146).
The 24-year-old’s movement and intelligence are facets often overlooked when assessing his worth on the European scale. Jones has also won 55% of his duels in the Premier League this term while completing a whopping 69% of his dribbles, as per Sofascore.
Gravenberch is keen on foraying forward himself, so silky on the ball, so there’s another element to Jones’ game that may prove translatable when stepping into his Dutch teammate’s boots. Jones has even been hailed for his “perfect” distribution by Liverpool content creator Matt Addison.
Should Elliott also find himself on the starting teamsheet, he could do with a robust and dynamic anchoring point behind him to promote his playmaking prowess. Gravenberch is that player, but he’s tired, and needs recharging. The Carabao Cup final, let’s not forget, is also just one week away.
Chalkboard
This security on the ball could be exactly what Liverpool need to defeat Southampton comprehensively and allow for the rotation Slot needs to enforce ahead of such a pivotal match on Tuesday evening against PSG.
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