Liverpool ended the primary half of the Premier League season with back-to-back victories towards Tottenham and Southampton, however struggled to keep up their rhythm towards Lyon in Sunday’s mid-season pleasant.
The French facet got here from behind to win 3-1 – earlier than sealing a bonus level on penalties – after Liverpool took the lead inside 42 seconds within the Dubai Tremendous Cup, with Mo Salah lacking a penalty early on.
Jurgen Klopp will depart the Al-Maktoum Stadium with loads on his thoughts after a disappointing collapse from his facet, however there have been nonetheless some gamers to place their palms up and catch his consideration. Listed here are the 5 issues we discovered from Liverpool’s loss to Lyon on Sunday in Dubai.
Jurgen Klopp is not going to have been happy with the 3-1 defeat however there have been nonetheless some positives
Roberto Firmino bounces again from Brazil snub
Roberto Firmino was by no means an out-and-out goalscorer, even in his heyday for Liverpool, however what he does carry is aptitude, vitality and good ft – three issues he had in abundance towards Lyon.
The Brazilian was overlooked of Tite’s 26-man squad, however confirmed Jurgen Klopp why he deserves extra minutes this season as he labored tirelessly alongside an oddly-wasteful Mohamed Salah up prime.
Firmino confirmed that he nonetheless possesses high quality and an virtually genius-level mind with regards to threading the needle on the sting of the field, and in a Liverpool facet absolutely match match in the midst of the season he might have had two or three assists.
Because it was, his vibrant attacking play went unrewarded however he may have given loads for Klopp to consider, with Darwin Nunez set to return from an ineffective World Cup marketing campaign with Uruguay.
He might not have gotten a objective or help on Sunday however Roberto Firmino was vibrant up entrance
Virgil van Dijk’s absence has left an enormous gap
Sunday’s pleasant loss in Dubai may have given Liverpool followers shivers as they caught a glimpse of what life was like earlier than Virgil van Dijk’s arrival, with the Reds responsible of poor defending on three events as they let slip a one-goal lead.
Joel Matip and Joe Gomez are stable defenders in their very own proper, however neither got here near commanding the authority and worry that the Dutch skipper calls for, and there was an evident absence of management on the coronary heart of the defence.
Gomez seemed inclined when run at, notably by Moussa Dembele within the thirty fifth minute, with the far-from fast Frenchman inflicting the English defender all types of trouble, turning him in and out earlier than unleashing a tame strike on objective.
Virgil van Dijk’s focus and composure in defence was notably absent on Sunday
A lot of Van Dijk’s energy comes from the worry and doubt he places in attackers’ hearts, and it was clear that neither Dembele nor Alexandre Lacazette had an oz. of trepidation when going through Matip and Gomez within the first half.
Andy Robertson and Caoimhin Kelleher have been at fault for the Lyon objective, make no errors, however it’s exhausting to think about such a slip-up would have occurred had Van Dijk been on the pitch to both clear up or set a frighteningly excessive commonplace of focus for his defensive colleagues.
Jude Bellingham would have a discipline day on this Liverpool midfield
It is no secret – everybody needs Jude Bellingham, and why would they not? The English midfielder has proven most not too long ago in Qatar what an excellent participant he’s, however what Liverpool most want is a line-breaking box-to-box midfielder.
Thiago Alcantara was good within the first half, and his easy vary of passing was put to good use, notably within the twentieth minute when he despatched a gorgeously raking lengthy ball in the direction of Mohamed Salah.
However Salah and Roberto Firmino each appeared stranded at occasions on the prime of the pitch, with Thiago staying deep to spray passes out and Stefan Bajcetic holding down the fort in entrance of the defence.
Bellingham’s incessant vitality and absurd composure on the ball would match into this Liverpool system completely, with an absence of progressive intent forthcoming towards Lyon, in a sport that noticed clear daylight between the midfield and assault.
Jude Bellingham’s vitality and talent to interrupt the strains is an ideal match for this Liverpool facet
Reds nonetheless want cowl for Trent Alexander-Arnold
Trent Alexander-Arnold is good, however no person stays match for a complete season, and Liverpool look to be in hassle if the England full-back suffers a critical harm with solely James Milner and Calvin Ramsay out there.
James Milner struggled at right-back
The previous is tireless in his work-rate, gritty within the problem and a frontrunner on the pitch – however Milner is 37 in January, and can’t do the issues that Alexander-Arnold can within the last third.
Calvin Ramsay was introduced in to supply back-up at right-back, however from what he has proven – which is admittedly little in his two first-team appearances – he isn’t as much as the usual that Klopp will want him to be ought to calamity strike.
Ramsay’s miss within the penalty shoot-out is irrelevant. Misses from the spot can occur to anybody – simply ask the prolific Harry Kane – however it was his defensive work that stood out, with the Scot notably yards away from the place he needs to be on the again put up for Bradley Barcola’s strike within the sixty fifth minute.
It’s not in defence the place Alexander-Arnold excels, however the right-hand facet was an more and more worthwhile searching floor for Lyon after Milner left the sector, and Ramsay will need to seize the subsequent alternative he’s handed with a firmer grasp than he did on Sunday.
Thiago Alcantara is cruising forward of the restart
The Spanish Rolls-Royce was overlooked of Luis Enrique’s World Cup squad, however he confirmed Jurgen Klopp why he’s a two-time Champions League and Membership World Cup winner towards Lyon.
Alcantara displayed his dazzling array of passing – with pinpoint accuracy – in his 61-minute show on Sunday and prompted havoc for a Lyon defence that frequently struggled with lengthy balls within the pleasant encounter.
One go stood out although. The Spaniard obtained the ball on the flip in his personal half, fronted up by two defenders, however somewhat than merely pop the ball off to a defender of his personal or sq. it out extensive, Alcantara performed a luxurious lengthy ball together with his proper foot with a potent mixture of back-spin and curve out to the correct. Salah obtained the ball in precisely the place he needed it, useless to day.
Thiago Alcantara cruised on the coronary heart of Liverpool’s midfield and confirmed his expansive vary of passing
Alcantara will not be a midfielder that wins you video games by breaking the strains, or by making goal-saving challenges, and even by screening the line of defense. He’s a midfielder that wins you video games by recognizing the passes that no different participant can and executes them with deadly precision.
His acrobatic leaping back-heeled one-two on the sting of his personal field below heavy strain was not dangerous both.
