Liverpool Secure Merseyside Derby Victory Thanks to Dominik Szoboszlai
Liverpool secured their first Merseyside derby victory of the season with a 2-0 win over Everton at Anfield. Goals from Mo Salah were enough to secure the three points, but it was the performance of debutant Dominik Szoboszlai that left Reds boss Jurgen Klopp surprised.
Klopp Surprised by Szoboszlai Before Kickoff
Before the game, Klopp revealed that he was surprised to learn that Szoboszlai had never played in a derby before. The Hungarian international had spent his career in Salzburg, Leipzig, and Hungary, where there are no derbies. Klopp told reporters: “When we had the finishing [drill] before, the warmup, Dom told me ‘I’ve actually never played a derby before’. [I said], ‘what do you mean?’. [He told me], ‘Salzburg doesn’t have a derby, Leipzig doesn’t have a derby, Hungary maybe has a derby but the countries who would be a derby we never played since I’ve played international football’. [I replied], ‘OK, good, no problem, you always give 100 percent, so you are ready for the game’.”
Szoboszlai Impressive on Debut
Szoboszlai was clearly not affected by the occasion, ending with the third-most touches of any player with 107, behind only Trent Alexander-Arnold (118) and Virgil van Dijk (114), as well as the most shots (five) and chances created (four), per FotMob. In his post-match interview, Szoboszlai showed his confidence, saying: “I asked [Alexander-Arnold] how it’s going to be, but everybody in the staff said it’s going to be really good. I just came out and [we] took the three points.”
Liverpool Take Advantage of International Break
After dropping points against both Tottenham and Brighton in frustrating circumstances, Liverpool returned from the international break with a prime opportunity. They toiled at Anfield, but eventually took that chance with a 2-0 win over Everton courtesy of two goals from Mo Salah. Klopp fielded three Merseyside derby debutants in his starting lineup, and Szoboszlai’s performance was crucial in securing the victory.
Conclusion
Liverpool’s victory over Everton was a crucial one, and it was made possible thanks to the performance of debutant Dominik Szoboszlai. The Hungarian international had never played in a derby before, but he showed no signs of nerves and ended with the third-most touches of any player on the pitch. His confidence and composure were key to Liverpool’s victory, and it is clear that he will be an important player for the Reds going forward.