Dominik Szoboszlai is Liverpool’s greatest participant however his physicality additionally highlights what Arne Slot’s aspect are lacking

Welcome to The Debrief, a Sky Sports activities column wherein Adam Bate makes use of a mix of knowledge and opinion to replicate on a number of the key tales from the newest Premier League matches. This week:

• Szoboszlai displaying what Liverpool lack
• Pereira is altering Forest’s method
• Haaland’s file touches in new function
• Hurzeler turns to expertise at Brighton

Szoboszlai steps up once more – and exhibits what Liverpool lack

Liverpool supporters had been urging Dominik Szoboszlai to fling the ball into the field. They had been anxious. Possibly even his supervisor was too. “It felt to me it was the last moment,” stated Arne Slot. “To stay so cool when everyone was expecting the ball to come in…”

It took the swagger of Szoboszlai to take accountability, ignore the simple passes, shifting left after which proper earlier than producing the cross that led to Liverpool’s 97th-minute winner at Nottingham Forest. Jamie Carragher known as it soccer conceitedness on Sky Sports activities.

“I think now he has got the arrogance of, ‘I am the best player in this team. I am one of the best players in the Premier League and European football and I am going to make something happen here.’ That comes from confidence, arrogance,” Carragher defined.

How Liverpool might do with extra like him as a result of this was a victory that got here with many crimson flags. Slot’s aspect appeared completely unable to deal with Forest’s depth in the course of the first half, passing the ball slowly and urgent even slower. They appeared so torpid.

Szoboszlai is the exception, as he has been all season. Mohamed Salah acknowledged not too long ago that Liverpool depend on the Hungarian a lot and the issue for Slot is that regardless of the vitality that he brings to match the category, there’s nonetheless solely considered one of him to choose.

He’s having to fill in at right-back due to accidents, resulting in the peculiar spectacle of Liverpool’s standout participant of the season being requested to spend a lot of it out of place. He’s higher than the opposite choices there. However he’s higher than them elsewhere as effectively.

Slot needed to transfer him into midfield as a result of Curtis Jones was struggling badly to cowl in there following Florian Wirtz’s damage on the eve of kick-off. “He takes too long on the ball,” stated Carragher of Jones, considerably paradoxically given Szoboszlai’s composure late on.

“It was about having more control over their midfield,” revealed Slot. Szoboszlai’s high quality in possession has been necessary too. He created 5 probabilities in opposition to Forest. The remainder of his teammates mustered three between them. However it’s this physicality that’s key.

The outrageous free-kicks in opposition to Arsenal and Manchester Metropolis deservedly garnered headlines and there have been many extra key contributions within the Champions League. However whereas others have produced moments none examine when it comes to working energy.

He ranks high for Liverpool when it comes to distance lined and sprints. Extra worryingly, he appears to be enjoying at a distinct tempo to his colleagues. “We face players of … different physicality,” recognised Slot in his press convention after the sport on the Metropolis Floor.

Liverpool understand it is a matter, an imbalance. They’re experiencing it too usually within the Premier League. And in Szoboszlai they’ve an instance proper there on their very own coaching floor of the requirements that the remainder of the squad might want to attain if they’re to handle it.

Forest aggression exhibits Pereira influence

There was a line in Vitor Pereira’s press convention after the defeat to Liverpool when his issues had been in comparison with ‘all his predecessors this season’ – not even each however all. He’s Nottingham Forest’s fourth head coach of the present marketing campaign, in fact.

However whereas there have been actually similarities with Forest’s earlier video games when it comes to the poor ending, this was one thing totally different in opposition to Liverpool. It was a front-footed method in opposition to a giant staff that confirmed what these gamers are actually able to producing.

Sean Dyche’s fashion had aggravated supporters as a result of it presupposed that this was a restricted group. That by no means chimed effectively with admirers of Elliot Anderson and Morgan Gibbs-White. With Ibrahim Sangare shining behind them, they dominated early on.

They did so by being aggressive. Forest gained possession of the ball seven instances in Liverpool’s defensive third within the opening 45 minutes. Solely Sunderland in opposition to Bournemouth have gained it extra instances in that zone of the pitch within the first half of a sport this season.

Forest had not gained it excessive greater than 4 instances within the first half of any sport this season previous to this and completed the competition with a season-high variety of excessive regains. It was a really totally different Forest show. “We played very good football with the ball,” stated Pereira.

“Switching play to the other side, creating problems in the counter-attack, creating problems in the organised attack.” Sadly, they drained. “The second half was not the same, because of course it is impossible to have the same energy,” he defined.

Unable to “keep with our pressure, to keep the block higher” the sample modified. Maybe will probably be a difficulty if Forest go deep in Europe and this fashion proves unworkable given the fixture calls for. Nevertheless it hinted at a possible that has been wasted this season.

Haaland’s file touches in new function

It was added-time inside added-time when Erling Haaland cleared the ball from inside his personal penalty field for the ultimate time to assist Manchester Metropolis maintain on for a 2-1 win over Newcastle that saved up the strain on Arsenal. He would make some centre-back.

No Metropolis participant made extra clearances within the sport. Haaland himself had made extra clearances in solely two of his earlier 123 Premier League appearances. It was additionally essentially the most touches that the massive Norwegian striker has ever had in a Premier League match.

That total contribution helps to elucidate why Pep Guardiola made the case for Haaland to be the participant of the match regardless of Nico O’Reilly’s two targets. It was his completely directed cross that arrange O’Reilly for what turned out to be the sport’s successful purpose.

It was a seventh help of the Premier League season. Solely Bruno Fernandes has extra. “He is an incredible, generous player,” stated Guardiola. “I will never forget what Erling has done for us.” Distinction that along with his feedback after the win over Liverpool.

On that event, Haaland scored the winner himself however Guardiola was much less effusive in his reward. “I know it’s an incredibly difficult task [against Ibrahima] Konate and [Virgil] van Dijk, to win those balls, but the second half [they did] not even try,” he complained.

Haaland couldn’t be accused of that all through his bruising battle with Dan Burn. Maybe the 10-day break explains it. Having not featured in opposition to Salford, this was the longest hole between his appearances for each membership and nation to date this season.

Visibly sharper in consequence, Haaland’s better involvement additionally displays the slight change of function for him since Omar Marmoush returned from the Africa Cup of Nations. He now has a strike accomplice in Guardiola’s 4-2-2-2 system, enabling him to chop in from the suitable.

Haaland is displaying extra to his sport, working at defences fairly than being a extra static presence up high as the sport occurs in entrance of him. Will he rating extra? Possibly not. However it’s enjoyable seeing this aspect of him. And it’s what Metropolis want from him proper now.

Hurzeler turns to expertise at Brighton

When Brighton performed Sunderland in December, Fabian Hurzeler picked what was, on the time, the youngest staff to look in any Premier League sport this season. It has since been surpassed by Chelsea however that aspect had a mean age of beneath 24.

The common age of the Brighton staff that Hurzeler picked in opposition to Brentford on Saturday was 29 – among the many oldest within the Premier League. It’s extremely uncommon for a similar membership to pick out line-ups at reverse ends of the age spectrum inside the similar season.

In got here James Milner on the age of 40 to interrupt the Premier League look file. Lewis Dunk, Joel Veltman and Danny Welbeck all began. “At the moment we try to find the team that is the most stable, reliable and resilient in this situation,” stated Hurzeler.

“These are attitudes that are very important at the moment for our team.” And so it proved. Brighton defeated an in-form Brentford aspect 2-0 away from house, assuaging a number of the strain on their coach after a run of 1 win in 13 Premier League video games.

There’s comprehensible frustration with Hurzeler. He has made some curious alternatives and substitutions, picked gamers in odd positions and customarily presided over a interval throughout which Brighton’s identification on the pitch has turn into much less obvious.

However there ought to be some acknowledgement that his staff boasts so few peak-age gamers that consistency of efficiency is all the time more likely to be difficult. Brighton’s squad is filled with gamers who’re years away from their prime – for very totally different causes.

It is going to be a difficult rebuild as a result of these older gamers can not stick with it for much longer and the kids don’t seem able to step up. Will Hurzeler get the chance to supervise it? That’s not clear however this safety-first choice buys him a bit extra time.