Aof all people, Mohamed Salah. Until a few days ago, the striker was still one of the reasons for Liverpool FC’s crisis: Salah just didn’t score anymore; at least not as often as we were used to from him. But then came the Champions League group game against Glasgow Rangers last Wednesday. Salah initially only sat on the bench, came on as a substitute in the middle of the second half – and shortly afterwards scored three goals in just five minutes. Suddenly he was his old self again, just in time for the Premier League game against Manchester City.
In a fast, open and at times heated game in front of a trembling crowd at Anfield Stadium, Liverpool won 1-0 on Sunday and the scorer was – who else? – Salah. Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp, who was banished to the stands towards the end of the game for overly aggressive protests, will now hope that not only Salah, but the whole team will pick up again: they are on the table with three wins from nine games Eighth place in the table, 14 points behind leaders Arsenal. There is reason for hope. Because despite his goal against City, the decisive factor in the victory was not Salah, but the Liverpool defense.
Liverpool security is back
In the previous season, the defense no longer radiated the security that characterized them in previous years. Even defender Virgil van Dijk had to be accused of mistakes and lack of concentration. Experienced James Milner snapped at him on the pitch for all to see after conceding a goal in the game against Manchester United.
But on Sunday, when it came to preventing Erling Haaland, perhaps the best striker in the world at the moment, from scoring goals, stability returned. Yes, City had chances, they were even denied a goal for a foul in the formation. But van Dijk and especially Joe Gomez, his partner in central defence, prevented what they could prevent.
The couple was not intimidated, especially towards Haaland with the necessary aggressiveness. In front of the defense, Fabinho and Thiago worked against Kevin De Bruyne and Ilkay Gündogan to stop their crosses and passes from deep. On the right side, Milner mostly had Phil Foden, 14 years his junior, under control. Above all, however, Gomez’ performance gives Liverpool fans hope for a return to old strength.
Two years ago he tore the patellar tendon in his left knee and was out for months; Also last season he was only in four Premier League games in Klopp’s starting line-up, partly because of the long-term consequences of this injury. “Liverpool’s outstanding player was Joe Gomez,” wrote the BBC in an analysis, although the 25-year-old only moved into central defense against City because Ibrahima Konaté was out with muscle problems.
Klopp admitted that he wasn’t exactly elegant in the scene that led to his dismissal: “I’m not proud of it. I freaked out at that moment, and that’s not okay.” Just the way he looks in the TV footage deserves a dismissal, he joked: “I’ve known for 55 years that just my look in these moments is worth a red card is. In that sense, it was ultimately deserved.”
For him, too, defense was the main reason for the win against City. “We were extremely organized and defended passionately, closed the right gaps, occupied the right zones.” And had the right instinct at the decisive moment: Alisson Becker, Liverpool goalkeeper, provided the template for Salah’s goal.
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