The victory at Turf Moor and Liverpool remain in four matches in the Premier League campaign. It’s not always a smooth voyage, but Arne Slot’s side has so far collected 9 to 9 points.
Burnley may be newly promoted, but they gave Manchester United a tough game before an international break, previously winning against Sunderland on their home ground. However, Slot’s Redmen is a different beast and hopes to secure victory again.
A subtle rotation is expected on Wednesday evening at the opening for Ray to the Champions League, where Liverpool hosts Atletico Madrid.
However, Jeremie Frimpong returns to team training and wants to challenge his hero, Dominik Szoboszlai, two weeks ago, to start his berth at right back.
Of course, there are also predictions for Alexander Isaac’s arrival. Isak joins Newcastle United’s Liverpool on a record-breaking contract, with many across the country keeping an eye on the striker’s potential debut.
However, the 25-year-old was placed on the bench and played little football for several months. Hugo Ekitike will replace him, and Florian Wirtz will target the match as a match he would be worthy of launching and running after a £116 million transfer from Bayer Leverkusen.
Why Liverpool moves Wirtz
Wirtz has been a central role for Liverpool so far, proud of its deeper midfielder, and is trying to weave various lines on the slot side. It was a steady start, but not the introduction to the barnstorming that his British record was expected after his move from Germany.
However, the 22-year-old is clearly one of the most talented soccer players in the world. You can see it in the way he cleverly touches the ball. You can see it with his sharp, seamless movements, his vision and artistry.
However, Wirtz’s opening game of Premier League career left plenty of what was desired. Liverpool may find their expensive recruits will have more success in the wider berth, take on the defender, create and shoot inside.
There have been improvements against Arsenal. Especially in the second half, Wirtz began to loosen, his fleet’s feet were born, moving with ease of walking that caused him the ability to take on and beat his man.
Of course, these skills are not only limited to midfield roles during the central attack. And so perhaps Liverpool wants to free Whartz from the left side this term.
Slots need to unleash Gakpo in the role of ISAK
With ISAK unlikely to start with Burnley, slot may solve his Wirtz problem by fielding Gakupo alongside Ekitike in a more advanced attacking position.
The German playmaker can then move left, with Alexis Mac Alistair and Ryan Gravenburch working in the middle (Szoboschlei could move to the center if he had to repeat his right-back role, thus compressing the midfield).
Gakpo scored 18 goals in all competitions last season, making it one of the most accurate shooting games in the Premier League, and Pundit Peter Crouch said last year he “slept up” in the slot system.
Isak rocks the boat a bit, and Liverpool forwards place different degrees of match action throughout the season. Gakpo won’t start every match, but he should start here against Burnley.
For most of August, Isaac wandered across the cold football tundra, rebelling against Newcastle and leaving Eddie Howe’s pre-season preparations. In many cases, the Swedish international appeared to be protected from his dream move to Merseyside.
But he’s here now and Liverpool is far better for that. But the fact that slots have the depth of FSG’s resolve, and in fact, they are a long range of their quiet tenacity, and Gakupo is also a showcase in that respect.
Liverpool signed Gakupo from PSV Eindhoven in late December 2022 after an extraordinary performance with the Netherlands at the Qatar World Cup. Man United thought they were signing him, but Liverpool quickly landed their man.
And there’s further evidence that he’s improved by the season, creating a version of the player who has scored and two assists from three Premier League appearances this semester, allowing him to make the slot better.
The term is early, but Gakpo was a threat. Data from the Sofa Score reveals that he has so far averaged an absurdly high 9.3 duel on his top flight fixtures.
And what does that mean? Well, Wirtz’s involvement is probably a critical factor. Last year, Szoboszlai played a hardworking role from 10th place over the Germans, working overtime to cram Energy and Initiative into Slot’s hardworking team.
Wirtz is a more advanced player, flashy and talented. Liverpool has been reconditioned. The entire opening match was a point of criticism against the Reds, but they scored nine points. They stood on the mountain and beat Arsenal, Newcastle and Bournemouth.
Perhaps moving his previous performance and starring Wirtz would help this essential outfit hit even stronger steps. After all, Gakpo is a natural scorer and can work from outside to in in duel roles using Ekitike.
Wirtz – Career Statistics by Position | ||
|---|---|---|
position | App | Goal (Assist) |
Attacks midfield | 163 | 48 (55) |
Center Forward | 15 | 7 (7) |
Right winger | 11 | 4 (3) |
Left winger | 9 | 2(3) |
Central midfield | 5 | 0(3) |
Data from the Transfer Market | ||
Does the slot assume such a scenario? That’s certainly the case, or why did Liverpool break the bank for forwards like Isaac and Ekichike?
Once fitness is allowed, ISAK will play a number of matches from No. 9 Bertz to lead the Liverpool line. There he scores goals with their large groups, adding not only the effectiveness of the score, but also a unique take on the centre-forward craft.
However, for the time being, with the launch of Eki Tickets at ISAK, which requires soft integration with all cylinders, Liverpool may want to keep an eye on the wind.
The Dutch are his own players. He is not Isaac. Gakpo does not play Isak’s positional role in imitation, but offers his own take, allowing multiple players to create a new style where they can settle on the same seat and float it all.
All in a nutshell, Liverpool is pretty good and there are so many different ways to achieve title-winning ambitions.
