Liverpool are back in Premier League action, and Arne Slot will be determined not to leave a sour taste in the fans’ mouths before the agony of the international break.
Oh yes. Selhurst Park will be the final action ground before the interminable boredom of a midseason pause, but Liverpool are top of the table after six matches and will remain as such if victory is achieved over Oliver Glasner’s side, who are winless so far.
Slot has won eight of his nine competitive matches at the helm since inheriting Jurgen Klopp’s side, and he really is proving to be a worthy successor, tinkering at this wonderful squad and adding his flair.
But Palace have foiled high-flying Liverpool before. The Reds have only won one of their past four fixtures against the Eagles and lost at Anfield in their most recent outing, annihilating the optimism around triumphing in the title race.
Liverpool must ensure such a blunder does not occur today, and luckily, Slot has a squad of (almost) full fitness.
Liverpool team news
Harvey Elliott continues to sit on the sidelines as he recovers from a fractured foot suffered with England U21s in September; the rising star is targetting a return this month.
Frustratingly, Federico Chiesa is a doubt after picking up an unknown injury this week, though he could feature. The dynamic forward, Slot’s only senior signing thus far, missed out against Bologna in the Champions League on Wednesday evening.
But Slot, always cool, has maintained that he is confident in his team, and though he named a strong team in midweek, his team selection throughout his opening months on Merseyside suggests that changes will be minimal in south London.
However, there will be one or two tweaks, with Darwin Nunez likely to head back to the bench after flattering to deceive at the spearhead against Bologna.
Why Darwin Nunez must be benched
Just over two years ago, Liverpool signed Nunez from SL Benfica in a deal rising to a club-record £85m. He’s bobbed up and down, like a buoy caught in a storm, never quite sinking but struggling for air at times.
Last season, Nunez made progress, there’s no doubting that, but despite a healthy return of 18 goals and 13 assists across 53 matches, he continued to be plagued by severe profligacy in front of goal, missing 27 big chances, as per Sofascore, despite scoring only 11 times.
Slot has not been convinced, not yet. Nunez is erratic but he’s also influential and indefatigable. That said, the Uruguay international lacks composure and is not crisp enough in his link-up play, nor does he employ the desired combativeness, winning duels for his team.
Liverpool’s rather indifferent display against Bologna did not cost them, for Mohamed Salah placed a wonderful assist for Alexis Mac Allister and rifled a swept strike of his own to seal the 2-0 victory in the second half.
Nunez had a fantastic opportunity to prove himself, with Diogo Jota only fit enough to make the bench after injuring his foot in training, and he toiled.
Jota must return to the starting line-up, but Nunez must actually be followed to the bench by Luis Diaz, who has been tremendous this season, with five goals from six Premier League games.
That said, it’s time for Cody Gakpo to get to strut his stuff from the outset.
It's time to unleash Cody Gakpo
Gakpo’s got to feel the slightest pang of frustration right now. He’s only been afforded two starts all season, otherwise restricted to off-the-bench efforts. Moreover, both berths have come in cup competitions, and he’s excelled both times.
It’s clear that Gakpo, who is now enjoying his second full season at the Anfield side, was mismanaged to a degree, for he is clearly at his best on the left wing and this was a role that did not come readily to him under Klopp and his assistant manager Pep Lijnders, who still hailed his a “special skill set”.
Diaz has been immovable on the left wing for the Merseysiders in the Premier League, and though he won 11 duels in the Champions League in midweek, also completing five of his ten attempted dribbles, the Colombian’s goal threat sometimes evades him, and his Dutch peer has demonstrated this term that he can match his ball-carrying and aggressiveness.
Indeed, Diaz has been brilliant this season, crackling with electricity down the left flank, but there’s little question that Slot must appease two titans, and Gakpo surely deserves a shot now. After all, he’s been brilliant in each of his starts – let’s dig into them in a bit more detail.
Minutes played
90′
68′
Goals
2
0
Assists
0
1
Touches
58
43
Shots (on target)
6 (4)
3 (2)
Accurate passes
31/33 (91%)
18/22 (82%)
Key passes
3
2
Dribbles (completed)
2 (2)
7 (4)
Tackles + interceptions
4
2
Total duels (won)
9 (4)
11 (7)
Slot would be wise to keep things fresh, shuffle the pack a bit. Diaz was energetic and animated against Bologna, but he is still partial to a performance of minimal goal threat, even if he is coming on leaps and bounds under new management this season.
Gakpo, further to the point, offers a more dynamic skillset in a way that could be perfect for Jota’s sharpshooting at Selhurst Park.
As per FBref, the Netherlands star ranks among the top 3% of forwards across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for shot-creating actions, the top 8% for passes attempted, the top 7% for progressive passes and the top 3% for both tackles and interceptions per 90.
The Athletic’s James Pearce has already hailed Jota and Gakpo as a partnership this year, commenting that they were “lethal in the final third” against West Ham in the Carabao Cup, winning 5-1 and both scoring twice.
It’s his time to shine, no doubt he deserves it. Gakpo is a multi-functional forward with plenty of ways to positively contribute toward the success of Slot’s team, but he must now start to earn regular minutes, with the perfect chance up ahead against Crystal Palace.
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