Arne Slot‘s Liverpool needed to sit out this set of Premier League fixtures, as Storm Darragh referred to as off what might have been a tempestuous Merseyside Derby in itself if it wasn’t for a late postponement.
Everton would have been up for the competition, with it being the final league fixture between the fierce rivals at Goodison Park, while the Reds would have equally been raring to go within the tasty affair after a disappointing 3-3 draw away at Newcastle United.
However, the in the end bought in the way in which, which is able to now have given Slot time to ponder on how the season is at present unfolding, along with his facet sitting fairly on the prime of the standings with a chic 35 factors.
Nonetheless, league titles aren’t wrapped up in December, with the Dutchman wanting to protect towards complacency creeping in, which did stunt his high-flying facet at St James’ Park.
Foremost Liverpool underperformers vs Newcastle
Contemporary off the again of convincingly beating Manchester Metropolis 2-0, Liverpool would have made the journey up the Toon brimming with confidence, solely to be rudely met by an impressed Newcastle residence show.
The likes of Darwin Nunez and Caoimhin Kelleher stood out particularly as poor performers within the back-and-forth 3-3 draw, with the Uruguayan managing simply 25 touches of the ball alongside lacking two massive probabilities, while the Reds quantity 62 needed to fish the ball out of his purpose a miserable 3 times.
Fortunately for Slot’s males, Mohamed Salah continues to come back up trumps like a person possessed for the Merseyside giants, along with his two strikes within the barnstorming affair undoubtedly serving to the away facet salvage one thing from the sport.
That mentioned, he did not get an excessive amount of assist from his attacking colleagues; notably Cody Gakpo and Luis Diaz.
Certainly, the ex-Feyenoord boss would have been let down considerably by the opposing flank, as Gakpo had a quiet night time on Tyneside, alongside Luis Diaz registering zero pictures heading in the right direction throughout his brief cameo in for the 25-year-old.
While the sport at Everton was referred to as off, a promising Liverpool teen starred out on mortgage as soon as extra down the wings, with the tough and fast attacker possessing the potential to be the membership’s subsequent Sadio Mane when he returns away from the choices at present accessible.
Liverpool have discovered their subsequent Sadio Mane
The starlet in query right here is Ben Doak, who’s lighting up the Championship this season for his mortgage employers in Middlesbrough.
While he solely has one purpose subsequent to his identify to date, the Scotsman has nonetheless been working as a inventive menace down the fitting channel, with a gorgeous 5 assists picked up when slaloming ahead with venom for Michael Carrick’s outfit.
He did almost rating a luxurious solo strike final trip versus Burnley, as considered one of his three profitable dribbles almost resulted in James Trafford selecting the ball out of his personal internet, however Carrick will simply be overjoyed he has the 19-year-old as his short-term disposal earlier than he doubtlessly explodes into life again at Anfield.
His blistering runs ahead donning a Liverpool shirt might see him change into the membership’s subsequent Mane if every little thing slots into place properly, with the Senegalese attacker occurring to change into a modern-day nice having chipped in with objectives and assists aplenty.
Mane notched up a ridiculous 120 objectives in complete for Liverpool throughout 269 video games, with Doak aiming to duplicate Mane’s highs when given an opportunity again at Slot’s males when this formative mortgage stint is up.
After all, it is unrealistic to count on the 19-year-old to be immediately superb for a crew routinely close to the highest of the Premier League pile, however he has already been branded as potential “world-class” expertise by ex-Scotland supervisor Craig Levein.
Doak’s numbers vs Hull Metropolis |
|
---|---|
Stat |
Doak |
Minutes performed |
90 |
Targets scored |
0 |
Assists |
2 |
Photographs |
3 |
Key passes |
7 |
Massive probabilities created |
2 |
Profitable dribbles |
3 |
Stats by Sofascore |
This was off the again of his heroics with Scotland, who he has one help for in Nations League motion, however he has additionally confirmed himself to be a fascinating watch within the Championship too, along with his electrical exhibiting for Boro on the finish of November versus Hull Metropolis gaining him numerous plaudits on the Riverside Stadium.
While Gakpo and Diaz are already on the calibre of the Premier League, Doak does really feel like the following massive factor to come back out of Anfield who would possibly effectively change into a star on the identical degree as Mane over time.
He is tough, diminutive, thrilling and able to discover the online; it definitely sounds so much just like the Senegalese, would not it?
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