At the conclusion of the season, when Jurgen Klopp leaves Liverpool, he will know that he has left his successor with a club that has the basis to contend for titles for many years to come.
And it has meant resolving an issue that has long been raised as a potential weakness—even amid the Reds’ biggest victories under his leadership.
It was an odd weakness given Klopp’s preference for aggressive play that his Liverpool team lacked creativity in the midfield despite their superior stature.
Of course, there was plenty of threat elsewhere. Liverpool had arguably the best forward triumvirate in Premier League history in Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane, and Roberto Firmino, and Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andy Robertson had set the standard for modern progressive full-back play.
However, just as that team disintegrated and Liverpool had to change, the engine room also had to change. Still, threat and guidance were not precisely where they ought to have been. Up until this current year.
Harvey Elliott’s tremendously impressive second-half cameo against Burnley at Anfield on Saturday in the Premier League saw him set up Darwin Nunez’s third goal after he had already cleared the path for Luis Diaz to put Liverpool ahead with as close to an assist as possible without it being officially counted as one.
Whatever the case, Elliott’s assist marked the Liverpool midfield’s 15th of the current campaign. The engine room managed 12 during the entire previous season. Furthermore, it indicates a rise in goal threat across the board for the club.
Alexander-Arnold, Robertson, and Kostas Tsimikas have all suffered injuries, yet their assist rate is still precisely the same as it was during the previous season, when they totaled 28.
The forward line has improved significantly as well; after 37 games, they have scored 62 goals and provided 31 assists, well on their way to surpassing their totals from 53 matches last season of 77 and 39, respectively. This is despite the fact that Roberto Firmino is no longer an option.
The midfield losses from the previous summer had undoubtedly lost their way. Fabinho was scoreless in his final 52 Liverpool games, Jordan Henderson was scoreless in his final 81, and most astonishingly, James Milner was scoreless in his final 130 games—though many of those were as substitutes. In his final three seasons, Naby Keita scored just four goals, compared to Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain’s five goals, several of which came from attacking positions rather than midfield. Even Thiago, who has only played in one extremely short game this season, has only scored three goals and provided six assists in 98 games.
It helps to explain why Liverpool’s midfield only managed 13 goals in the previous campaign, with three coming from the more offensive Fabio Carvalho. In contrast, the engine room has already had 18 this season, with five of them coming from each of Dominik Szoboszlai and Curtis Jones.
One spot on the right side of the midfield trio may be up for grabs as Szoboszlai races against the clock to be fit for Sunday week’s League Cup final against Chelsea at Wembley. Elliott will be hoping for another opportunity to make an impression when Liverpool visits Brentford on Saturday in an attempt to solidify their position atop the standings.
He declares, “I need to score, create, and affect the game.” “Compared to previous season, I feel a lot better and have more self-confidence. My game seems to have advanced to a new level.
But for me, it’s about continuing to develop, keep having fun with football, and keep working to become a better player and person. It will take some time because I’m still 20 years old, inexperienced, and still finding my path. But I believe I’m on the correct track right now, so all I want to do is keep getting better and moving forward.
Not only is Elliott progressing well this season, as Liverpool’s enhanced midfield strength has demonstrated. Whoever replaces Klopp will understand that the Reds are a threat at every position right now.
