Just as it looked like yet another season of despair at Anfield, Liverpool managed to push themselves out of the ditch and managed to qualify for the Champions League next season. And they are already reaping the benefits of qualification as they have landed one of the most productive players in Europe in the recent season, Mohamed Salah, days before the transfer market is officially open.
The £36.9m Egyptian winger is among the fastest players in world football and has terrorised defenders of the highest order in Italy and in Europe last season. And Liverpool, who lacked a genuine winger 14 months ago, now have Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah, ready to play on either wing.
The former Southampton man showed that his pace and willingness to put in the hard yards will bring the best out of his game in the previous season and under Jurgen Klopp, Salah is also expected to be used in a similar fashion. The duo is easily one of the quickest pair on either flank in the English league at the moment. Let’s take a moment to think about the pace in the attack system of Liverpool’s rivals.
Title winners Chelsea have used both Pedro and Willian, both of whom are quick as Chelsea like to use the creative abilities of Eden Hazard and Diego Costa and are not the quickest attacks in the league. Manchester United have the likes of Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial in attack but neither are outright wingers and are not the quickest around.
Arsenal have Theo Walcott and Alexis Sanchez who can pep it up while Heung Min-Son and Dele Alli can do their bit for the Spurs but neither has the blistering pace the likes of Mane have shown in the previous season. Everton, Southampton, Stoke, West Brom and West Ham are a few clubs who rarely use pace on the wings.
Michail Antonio is the quickest players from the five teams and could come close to the Liverpool duo. Very few of the clubs at the bottom of the table are confident enough to use a pacey attack to push opponents behind.
Burnley have used counter attacks to good effect but do not have genuine speed stars with insane acceleration. So the only team that comes close to Liverpool’s pace in attack is former Premier League champions Leicester City.
Build on a system to try and take maximum advantages of counter attacks, Leicester have the likes of Ahmed Musa, Jamie Vardy and Riyad Mahrez, all of who are quick and could compete with the pace in attack at Anfield. However, Mane and Salah are on a different level completely and Liverpool have certainly solved their issues with the lack of width in attack for years to come.