Liverpool’s 2-3 defeat to Swansea on Saturday, while did not end Liverpool’s title challenge mathematically, it did dent their hopes further. Having failed to win a single game in the league since the beginning of the new year, Jurgen Klopp’s men find themselves 10 points adrift of the leaders Chelsea. The gap does seem scalable, but it is the same old basic flaws that keep on hurting them, the defence and the goalkeeper. The Liverpool backline just does not seem up to the mark to what is expected from a side who are contenders for the title. However, there was one pleasing aspect coming out from the game for the Reds as Roberto Firmino put on a stellar show scoring two lovely goals after his team looked down and out at 2-0.
Liverpool have conceded 27 times in 22 league games this season and only Manchester City and West Bromwich Albion have leaked more goals (Both 28) than Klopp’s side among the top-eight clubs in the league standings. The Reds have managed to hold onto just six clean sheets so far, which has hurt them badly. This has meant that more often than not, Liverpool have had to score at least twice to get a positive result and that can prove to be difficult to sustain over an entire season, however talented your attacking line is.
Yet there is something puzzling about Liverpool’s defence. They are making the most number of tackles per game (19.9) than any other team in the club and have conceded the fewest shots per game in the league, averaging at 7.8 per game. That does say a lot about the kind of chances Liverpool tend to give their opponents and also highlights the fact that the shot-stopping from both their goalkeepers hasn’t been something to write home about.
But there are plenty of reasons for The Kop to be happy about. And one of the main positives to come from this season has been the emergence of Firmino as an excellent option in the role of false-nine.
Having signed from TSG Hoffenheim ahead of the 2015-16 season, there was a feeling that former manager Brendan Rodgers did not know how to bring the best out of the Brazilian, much similar to the plight of then-Brazil manager Dunga, who had struggled to find the most suitable role for the versatile Firmino in the Brazil set up during the Copa America 2015.
Having been used in a plethora of positions, it was only post the arrival of Klopp that Firmino started to settle in at Anfield. His excellent link-up play with compatriot Philippe Coutinho in the 4-1 thrashing of Manchester City, gave the first glimpse of what he was capable of, if used in the right way. He went on to finish the season with 10 goals and seven assists in the English top-flight, which was a remarkable return, considering he was not even a regular starter for a large part of the season and ended up starting only 24 league games.
This year, though, the 25-year old has gone from strength to strength and has grown in stature at Anfield and in England. Saturday’s double against the Swans took his goal tally for the season to eight, along with three assists to go by, from his 21 appearances. But his value goes much more beyond than goals in this Liverpool team.
Firmino embodies Jurgen Klopp and Liverpool’s approach both when in possession and without the ball. He is someone who excels at starting the defensive pressure from the top and often is the initiator of the quick counter-press, encouraging his teammates to box in opponents while also offering quick thinking, along with a calm and composed presence inside the opposition third. If we take a look at Firmino’s defensive statistics, he is averaging slightly less in tackles per game than the season past (from 2.2 last year to 1.6 this term), but that has got to do with him playing more centrally this term. His interceptions per game have risen slightly (0.5 to 0.9), but what stands out is that Firmino regains possession on an average of 2.7 times per game, most of it higher up the pitch, allowing Liverpool to hit their opponents fiercely.
Liverpool looks the best with Firmino in a central role, though injuries to others have meant he has had to play out wide in recent weeks. However, he gave another reminder of what he can do when deployed as a false-nine on Saturday against Swansea. When asked who has been the best Liverpool player this term, most tend to go with the names of Sadio Mane, Adam Lallana and Jordan Henderson, but Firmino has been equally brilliant if not better and is truly Liverpool’s unsung hero.
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