Liverpool football club has had a solid first half of the 2021/22 season already, currently third in the rankings for the Premier League and only a point behind Chelsea, who are now in second place. It’s heartening news, especially after a rough 2020/21 season.
As with other football clubs across the country, COVID-19 has impacted games and players, with current manager Jurgen Klopp and players Joel Matip, Roberto Firmino, and Alisson having to pull out of the recent match against Chelsea due to testing positive. However, Liverpool has by no means taken a hit in their playing, becoming the first English team to score two goals or more in eighteen consecutive games.
Although Liverpool has experienced its fair share of postponed games and disappointing matches, that doesn’t mean that the atmosphere at Anfield stadium is any less electric. You can’t compete with seeing a match live with your own eyes, and snatching up some Liverpool tickets for the upcoming year can mean you witness some impeccable football in person. Here are some players that you have to see live to believe.
Mohamed Salah
It’s hard to think of Liverpool Football Club right now without thinking of Salah, and the current season is evidence why. He started the season with a goal against Norwich and assisted with the other two goals – becoming the first player ever to score in five consecutive opening Premier League games. Then he scored his 100th Premier League goal in his 151st match, launching him onto the list of Liverpool’s top ten scorers.
Still apparently not yet content, he went on to score or assist in 15 consecutive Premier League games and beat out Didier Drogba as the highest-scoring African player in Premier League history. Salah is also responsible for one of the most exciting moments in Liverpool’s season, with his hat-trick against Manchester United in a game where they triumphed 5-0.
It’s a privilege to watch a player like Salah dominate the game; Neil Lennon has described Salah as ‘up there with any other player I’ve seen in the past few years. He is the closest player I’ve seen to Lionel Messi.’ Klopp, in turn, has declared he sees Salah as a role model.
The current season has positioned Salah as one of the greats, with comparisons to Luis Suarez’s historic 2013-14 season and Messi’s 2011-12 season. If his momentum keeps up, Salah is on track for his best season of football yet, one that will surely go down in the history books.
There is a chance that Salah won’t be at Liverpool forever, as his current deal with Liverpool expires in the summer of 2023. Reportedly, a new contract is currently under discussion between Salah and Liverpool, but the thought of a future without him is enough to want to get to the stadium to see him play in person while you still can. However, Salah is still just one player on the team.
Trent Alexander-Arnold
Arguably one of the best right-backs gracing the pitch right now, Alexander-Arnold signed a new long-term contract with Liverpool earlier this year, so he’s here to stay. This year has been a tricky one so far, with Alexander-Arnold controversially left out of the England team in the FIFA World Cup 2022 qualifying matches and forced to pull out of the Euros 2020 due to injury. However, his performance over the last few months should put any fears to rest.
Most notably, he scored the final goal in Liverpool’s 3-1 win against Newcastle, making them the first team in history to win 2000 games. His beautiful goal from 25 yards away proved his skill and electrified the crowd.
Despite this goal, Klopp commented that he didn’t believe it was one of Alexander-Arnold’s best games, despite being one of his best goals. Alexander-Arnold’s playing is impressive, particularly in his decisiveness even when a game isn’t going his way, but it’s clear that Klopp believes there’s room for better. It’s hard to admit that there are still areas to improve, but with Alexander-Arnold as good as he is, it’s exciting to think of the highs he could reach as his career continues.
Although his goals may be stunning, his real power comes from facilitating others and creating goal-scoring opportunities for his teammates, with the most assists to his name in the Premier League so far. Heavyweight names like Gary Lineker and Micah Richards have praised his ability, with Lineker stating that ‘It’s just so hard to imagine any other country in the world where he wouldn’t be first pick because he’s so good’. Even legendary Lionel Messi has praised him as the future of the fullback role.
Diogo Jota
This Portuguese forward scored Liverpool’s first goal of the 2021/22 Premier League Season, in which Liverpool dominated Norwich City to end their first match of the season 3-0. He followed this with goals against Arsenal, Everton, Southampton, and rivals Manchester United. Jota was even formally recognized for his formidable playing – voted the Football Player Association’s Player of the Month back in November.
In March of 2021 assistant manager, Pepijn Lijnders described that central to Jota’s success is his natural instinct to be in the right place at the right time. In an interview with the official Liverpool, F.C. Lijnders stated that ‘[Jota] has this positioning in the box where he is often on the right spot in the right time […] This intuition in the box, this pure instinct, that is something that is so difficult to coach.’
It’s Jota’s killer instinct and ability to expertly read the game that allows him to be in the right place to provide a final push towards a goal. With 52 shots and 10 goals in only 19 appearances, he’s second only to his teammate Mohammad Sala in goals made. Although Jota can make these sorts of moves look easy, his effortless scoring needs to be witnessed live to be appreciated.
Virgil Van Dijk
Where would Liverpool be without a strong defense? Luckily you don’t have to wonder with Van Dijk on the job. The Dutch center-back is renowned for his aerial skills, speed, and timing. Forced to miss most of last season due to a knee injury, Van Dijk has returned to Liverpool’s starting line for the 2021/22 season after a near ten-month absence. Admittedly, there are some concerns that he’s not entirely playing to the standard he achieved pre-injury, but his lovely goal against Southampton in November shows how good he can be.
A runner up in 2019 for the Ballon d’Or award, it may be tricky to live up to his 2019/2020 season where he played every single minute of the Premier League. So far, he’s boasting an 80% tackle success, one goal, and one assist with half the season left to prove himself. However, Van Dijk himself has noted that he was hit mentally by his injury as well as physically, so it may be a block that’s preventing him from reaching previous highs.
Van Dijk’s major weakness appears to be that he can switch into uninspired defending if the match seems like a done thing. Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink recently attacked Van Dijk’s defending as ‘lazy’ while Neil McGuinness has previously stated that Van Dijk will ‘switch off when the game is comfortable. That has been his biggest problem.’
On the flip side of this occasional tendency for complacency is a defender with the exceptional ability to observe and react to every aspect of his defensive surroundings. Van Dijk is, after all, the player described by Paul Merson in 2019 as the best defender in the world.
It’s players like Van Dijk that make the 2021/22 season so exciting: there’s the opportunity for a remarkable comeback or the inevitable decline of one of the greats.
Sadio Mané
Like Van Dijk, Mané was also a runner-up for the Ballon d’Or in 2019, and like Salah, he scored his 100th Premier League goal in October, after scoring his 100th goal with Liverpool a month earlier. In a team full of players breaking records, Mané became the first player to score nine consecutive League games against the same team, in this case, Crystal Palace.
There have been some controversial moments in his 2021/22 season so far, notably his yellow card for fouling Cesar Azpilicueta when facing Chelsea. There’s also reportedly a worry from Klopp that other players are deliberately targeting Mané.
Although often unfavorably compared to Salah, Mané is still praised by players like Arsenal’s Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who said that ‘once kick off has taken place, [Mané’s] a wild animal.’ and pundits such as Jamie Carragher who called Mané his favorite footballer. It’s worth noting that Mané clearly holds a lot of respect for Salah, describing him as the best in the world.
It’s also essential to recognize a player’s achievements off the pitch, and Mané has been widely celebrated for giving back to his community in Senegal. Aubameyang singled out Mané Sadio as ‘the player of the Africans… I have a lot of respect for him, because after what you see on social media and the news, he’s someone who’s done a lot for his native village.’ Mané’s commitment to the welfare and wellbeing of his native village is clear, and he was even named African footballer of the year in 2020.
Mané clearly loves the game, and it’s a pleasure to watch his intensity and passion and watch a player with decisive control over the ball. However, as the season progresses into the second half, his ability to keep cool under pressure will also be crucial to keep Liverpool on track.
Alisson
It can be easy to overlook the importance of a goalkeeper until they’re making a crucial mistake, and it can feel like the only solo style position in a very team-orientated sport. The position requires someone calm under pressure, consistent, and simultaneously agile and powerful. Luckily, Alisson is all these things and more.
He is noted for his speed when coming off his line, capability of nailing crucial saves, and excellent reflexes. He’s even earned himself the Portuguese nickname ‘the Cat-like Goalkeeper’ in Brazilian media. So far this season, he’s saved 36 goals and conceded 16, although this includes an own goal.
There has been some criticism for Alisson’s performance this season, with Jamie Redknapp denouncing the goalkeeper in their recent loss against Tottenham – ‘You have to look at the keeper. It was a horrendous mistake.’ In contrast, Alisson was praised by Joe Cole for his defensive skills in the match against Atletico Madrid, stating that ‘[the] positioning from him, and that game of cat and mouse, unbelievable. That’s what great teams have got’. It’s exciting to see how exactly he’ll perform in the second half of the season.
Although individual football players are inspiring and thrilling to watch, winning remains a team effort that extends beyond the players to the managers, trainers, and especially the fans. With COVID-19 limiting crowds in matches, it is not just fans who have missed the noise and community. West Ham captain, Alvin Martin, credits fan turnout to keep footballers going when injured or tired and described how ‘[those] big atmospheres help give you an extra five or10 per centthat you can’t replicate in training’.
Mark Lawrenson even praised the crowd specifically in Liverpool’s win against Atletico Madrid in November: ‘the crowd played a big part too. You could argue that by now you almost expect a fantastic atmosphere on occasions like this, but it is the way the crowd behaves that is so important’.
Liverpool has been a delight to watch this season with some fantastic players and exciting games. However, their recent loss against Leicester City also proves that each match is far from a done deal. As every football fan knows, the focus needs to be on the long-haul, making sure to keep the intensity high and stay focused on each game as it comes.
Liverpool has orchestrated some momentous plays this season, particularly a 5-0 win against Manchester United in October, and it’s hard not to feel jealous of the fans who were there to witness Salah’s hat-trick in person. So make sure you don’t miss out on any more historic matches and pick up your Liverpool tickets now!