Liverpool are in shock after their second Premier League defeat of the season. Manchester United lost their title hopes with a 3-1 defeat at Arsenal and Jurgen Klopp’s side will be hoping for a quick return to the competition as they face a crucial month ahead. We’re on the run. They meet Chelsea in the FA Cup and Carabao Cup finals and claim their first win of the season.
They will be hoping they can soon get a boost from Mohamed Salah’s return from injury and Dominic Szoboslay’s return from a similar problem. Klopp’s side are now bolstered by Wataru Endo, who returns from the Asian Cup, and Thiago Alcantara, who makes his first start in a year.But if everything is fit and available, who is Liverpool’s strongest squad? Our writers have something to say.Ian Doyle: During Jurgen Klopp’s reign, the Liverpool manager has always taken a “horse” approach. What works in one game may not work in another.
Consider the three greatest games of his reign. The Champions League semi-final against Barcelona in 2019, the final against Tottenham Hotspur and the Club World Cup win against Flamengo later that year. The starting lineups for these three matches marked the only times the selected XI started a match together.
Therefore, it is not easy to choose the side of the first choice. Especially since it is so rare that it is suitable and available for everyone. However, there is a clear link with Alisson Becker in goal, Trent Alexander-Arnold on the right and Virgil van Dijk in central defence. The defence, despite the strong captaincy of Joe Gomez, features Ibrahim Connat alongside Andy Robertson and Van Dijk on the left. The middle is a bit simpler, consisting of Alexis McAllister and Dominik Soboslay. However, the exact location depends on the third name. And Curtis Jones’ form over the last nine months shows he needs to be there.On top of that, Mohamed Salah is Liverpool’s best player, Luis Diaz has proven his ability on the left flank in recent months and Darwin Nunes will be central because he is Darwin Nunes. Caoimhin Kelleher, Conor Bradley, Joe Gomez, Kostas Tsimikas, Wataru Endo, Harvey Elliott, Thiago Alcantara, Cody Gakpo and Diogo Jota – Ryan Gravenbirch, Joel Matip, Bobby Clarke and Jarell. – It’s easy to see why Klopp thought he would leave the club in good form at the end of the season.
My team: Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Conate, Van Dyck, Robertson; McAlister, Szoboslay, Jones; Salah, Nunez, Diaz. Joe Riemer: The greatest strength of Jurgen Klopp’s current Liverpool squad is their flexibility.Liverpool have assembled a group of players who can operate in a variety of positions, allowing Klopp to choose the right formation for the upcoming opposition and have the option to replace players who are unavailable. However, this makes selecting a “strongest XI” theoretically difficult. In reality, it may not be possible. For example, Wataru Endo provides a solid base in defence, but Alexis Mac Allister could be a progressive number six. Liverpool’s front line is positionally interchangeable, with Conor Bradley providing an interesting option on the flank. So I’ll pick my starting line-up based on what I think are the best two games of the season. Both games were home games, both games in which the Reds scored four goals, against Chelsea and Newcastle.
It starts like Alisson, Ibrahima Konate and Virgil van Dijk, but then the problems start. Joe Gomez started both games at left-back, but Andy Robertson should make a cut as he offers balance with his left foot. Meanwhile, Conor Bradley performed brilliantly against Chelsea, but the experience and influence of Trent Alexander-Arnold overwhelms him at the moment.In midfield it would have been tempting to start Wataru Endo, but like Dominic Szoboslay, Curtis Jones was a common theme in both of the aforementioned games, so Chelsea man of the match and Alexis McAllister got the credit.
Mohamed Salah and Darwin Nunes should be in the front row, but I would play on the left to bring Diogo Iotta into the centre.My team: Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Konate, Van Dyck, Robertson; Mac Allister, Szoboslay, Jones; Salah, Nunes, Jota. Tom Kabila: Liverpool’s depth may be why they won more trophies at the end of this season.Jurgen Klopp is in the process of selecting his best starting XI, especially in attack, but he doesn’t mind facing this discomfort. There’s no need to talk about why Alisson Becker is the starting goalkeeper, so let’s move on to the defense where things get a little more complicated.
Conor Bradley and Joe Gomez make strong arguments for a starting spot given their performances of late, but Klopp’s other options make it difficult for them to get to the top of the squad. Virgil van Dijk, Andy Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold are players and I’d pick Joel Matip as another centre-back alongside Van Dijk. Ibrahima Konate has impressed at times, but the Frenchman often lacks the composure that Matip brings, so had it not been for the cruciate ligament injury I would have preferred him. Thiago Alcantara cannot be missing in midfield. Because he is the Reds’ best player in that position. In an ideal scenario, he would team up with Alexis McAllister and Curtis Jones. Jones wouldn’t have been anywhere near this list a year ago, but it’s hard to ignore his significant improvement this season. The Hungarian, who has adapted well to the Premier League, was a little tougher on Dominik Szoboszlai, but he certainly doesn’t fall into that category.
