Today, Liverpool fans, may well be the day Anfield erupts as Arne Slot’s brilliant squad of brilliant players clinch the Premier League title.
It’s in Liverpool’s hands. This afternoon, the Reds must simply avoid defeat against Tottenham Hotspur to put the trophy out of Arsenal’s reach and officially end four years of Manchester City dominance, tying Merseyside red ribbons onto the cup for a record-equalling 20th time.
Liverpool have consumately steered their way through the 2024/25 campaign, Slot’s first in the dugout, with such balance and equipoise, such quality oozing across every corner of the pitch.
It’s been a long time since Liverpool started a Premier League matchweek below the division’s summit – it was the term’s ninth round of fixtures, in fact, before City stumbled.
24/25
Carabao Cup
4-0 win
23/24
Premier League
4-2 win
22/23
Premier League
4-3 win
21/22
Premier League
1-1 draw
20/21
Premier League
2-1 win
Spurs and Liverpool have played out some memorable matches at Anfield in recent years, but this could be the pick of the bunch, should the hosts hold their nerve and professionally get the job done.
Slot and his coterie have managed to keep Liverpool treading above the water on the injury front this season, and there aren’t too many setbacks to disrupt this potentially watershed occasion.
The latest Liverpool team news
Joe Gomez is set to miss out once again as he continues his recovery from injury. The versatile defender is, however, expected to feature before the end of the season.
Trent Alexander-Arnold scored an emphatic off-the-bench winner at Leicester City, but Conor Bradley may well reprise his place at right-back.
Tyler Morton is still out, bogged down by an ongoing shoulder issue. It’s unlikely the young midfielder would have featured anyway.
Fringe stars such as Harvey Elliott and Federico Chiesa will be hoping for minutes, but with Liverpool in need of a professional performance to clinch the title, Slot isn’t likely to make drastic changes.
However, the Dutchman might make one or two tweaks, with Dominik Szoboszlai in line to be dropped from his position standing proud of the central midfield.
Why Slot should drop Dominik Szoboszlai
Szoboszlai has been a regular feature throughout Slot’s first season at the helm, starting 25 times in the Premier League. He ebbed and flowed last year under Jurgen Klopp, but looks more focused and confident in his football.
Matches (starts)
33 (25)
31 (25)
Goals
3
5
Assists
2
3
Touches*
57.5
47.6
Shots (on target)*
1.8 (0.5)
1.9 (0.6)
Pass completion
87%
86%
Big chances created
7
10
Ball recoveries*
5.2
3.8
Dribble (success)*
0.7 (47%)
0.6 (59%)
Tackles + interceptions*
1.5
1.3
Total duels (won)*
2.9 (41%)
2.8 (44%)
However, Szoboszlai still hasn’t mastered the art of scoring, of creating goals for his teammates. Across 89 total Liverpool appearances, the Hungarian has only scored 14 times and supplied 11 assists.
Having now gone five Premier League games without notching a goal contribution, the 24-year-old should be dropped; Szoboszlai brings a load of energy and tenacity to Liverpool’s first team, but pundit Jamie Carragher has recently remarked that the Reds “can improve” in attacking midfield, citing the minimal output as a potential issue going forward.
While he’s not a dramatic upgrade from a prolific standpoint, the hosts might want to consider unleashing Curtis Jones from the outset against Ange Postecoglou’s struggling side, with the England international’s
Jones, also 24, has been hailed for his “special” qualities and “complete” approach by Slot, having played an important role this season as he threads things together in the centre while adding a dimension on the edge of the danger area, driving even further forward when he can.
As per FBref, he ranks among the top 7% of central midfielders across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for goal involvements, the top 2% for pass completion, the top 5% for touches in the attacking penalty area, and the top 20% for successful take-ons per 90.
A successful take-on is recorded when a player beats their opponent by directly carrying the ball past them while retaining possession.
This is quite the array of strengths across the sweep of the midfield game, certainly highlighting Jones’ ability to influence a match.
With three goals and seven assists across 41 matches in all competitions this year (just 24 starts), Jones’ ball-playing ability clearly lends itself to a playmaking strength that could spark Mohamed Salah and co back into goalscoring action.
It’s no wonder he’s earned his keep in the Three Lions set-up, impressing on the international stage too.
Not only is Jones crisp in possession, incredibly completing 94% of his passes in the Premier League this season, but he’s also proven himself to be a highly efficient ball carrier, succeeding with 67% of his dribbles, as per Sofascore.
Getting at this shaky Spurs defence will be crucial later this afternoon, for Liverpool’s frontline haven’t been in the sharpest form as a collective, and they will need support from behind.
Jones has also shown his passion, his devotion, toward Liverpool’s cause, and that is a factor which is bound to come into play against the Lilywhites, with the boyhood star certain to be desperate for a standout performance in a match which could close the title-challenging chapter and indeed send Liverpool back to the top of the English pyramid.
That’s not to say Szoboszlai wouldn’t bring his own brand of burning intensity to the contest, but it may be that Jones is the best option to play alongside Alexis Mac Allister and Ryan Gravenberch in this one, freshening things up ahead of what might just prove to be a momentous day for Liverpool.
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