'Un-be-liev-able': How Dominik Szoboszlai became essential for Liverpool

It was when Dominik Szoboszlai could not play for Liverpool that his importance to the team became clear.

Go back to the start of this year and it was results and performances in the Premier League against Manchester United (a 2-2 draw) and Carabao Cup against Tottenham (a 1-0 defeat) that highlighted how integral the Hungarian midfielder had become to Liverpool in and out of possession.

There is a pattern in football where supporters’ opinions of players can improve when they are out of the team. Often, when those players eventually get a chance, they are not the saviour they have been built up to be.

That does not apply to Szoboszlai.

It was on display again against Ipswich Town on Saturday, with the attacking midfielder scoring the opening goal in the 4-1 win.

Slot has been selective in choosing when to praise individuals this season but, after the match, he made it clear just how pleased he was with Szoboszlai’s work rate by emphasising the word “un-be-liev-able”.

Dominik Szoboszlai made his presence felt against Ipswich (MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

“If you zoom in on Dom, I think in the beginning of the season he would have played that ball to Mo (Mohamed Salah), which was for most of the time a very good choice because Mo can definitely score a goal as well,” said Slot.

“Now he decided to go for himself and scored a goal himself, so nice for him because he’s, in my opinion, a bit underestimated — not by me — but he doesn’t always get the credit for the fact he’s very important for this team because his work rate is unbelievable. He just keeps on running with the highest intensity and that is so important for a team that wants to compete for something.”

The 24-year-old’s physicality has been one of his standout attributes since he arrived in 2023. He can maintain a level of intensity few others can match.

The No 10 role carries a lot of responsibility out of possession in Slot’s 4-2-3-1 system. Salah — seemingly by instruction because it is a common tactical theme — takes up a narrow position when Liverpool are setting up their high press. It leaves a lot of space between him and right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold.

The forward does not track back all the time (to keep him as high up the pitch as possible), so Szoboszlai — or Curtis Jones when selected — is tasked with covering that ground and his physical capabilities make him the player best equipped in Liverpool’s squad to do that.

In the example below against Lille, Szoboszlai is part of three consecutive pressing actions, eventually winning the ball at the third attempt.

As well as setting the tone of Liverpool’s initial press, his acceleration and desire allow him to make repetitive recovery runs to help his side win back possession or stop counter-attacks.

This was also evident against Nottingham Forest. After his cross was blocked and Szoboszlai found himself off the pitch, he recovered to halt Elliot Anderson.

Another example against Lille shows how much ground Szoboszlai made up to dispossess Hakon Arnar Haraldsson.

Often statistics do not do justice to his influence, but from the eye test, it is his initial press which can create turnover opportunities for his team-mates.

While his off-ball work has been consistent, he has struggled to match that in possession.

Szoboszlai has faced plenty of questions dating back to the final months of last season. The shine of his incredible first few months in a Liverpool shirt had dimmed and the Hungary international ended the 2023-24 campaign out of form and out of the team.

He continued to split opinion in the opening months of this season in a new, more advanced No 10 role. Playing higher up the pitch brings more attacking responsibility and Slot laid the gauntlet down during a press conference in September when asked about the midfielder’s output.

“Something I have to work on with him is that he is also even more involved in scoring goals and creating chances for us because I think last season he scored three (in the league) if I remember correctly,” Slot told reporters ahead of Liverpool’s match against Milan in the Champions League.

“For an attacking midfielder at Liverpool his numbers need to go up, but I am really happy with the way he has done until now. I am 100 per cent sure that if he plays in a team with so much quality around him and with the quality he has, he will in the end score more goals as well.”

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Szoboszlai responded by scoring his first goal of the season in the 3-1 victory. Yet it took him until November 24 to register his first league goal of the season — the opener in the 3-2 victory against Southampton. It was his first league goal since January 31, when he scored in a 4-1 win over Chelsea at Anfield.

The 24-year-old finished last season with seven goals and four assists in 45 appearances in all competitions. He told Hungarian TV channel SpilerTV earlier this season his aim for 2024-25 was to reach 25 goal contributions.

His goal against Ipswich was his third in the league, matching his total from last season, but only his fourth of the campaign. He has already bettered his assist tally with five. Despite his more advanced position, finding that blend can be difficult.

“It can be always better,” Szoboszlai told reporters ahead of Liverpool’s Champions League tie against RB Leipzig, when asked about his form to begin the season. “I can play better, as the gaffer said I can score more goals, I can give more assists, but I am doing the ‘dirty job’ as well for the team and that is the most important thing to me. While we are top of the league and I don’t score any goals, I’ll take it.”

The positive is that Szoboszlai looks to be making steps in the right direction and it can be traced back to his man-of-the-match level performance in the 6-3 victory against Tottenham Hotspur in December.

His goal…

…and assist…

… were both examples of Szoboszlai finding himself in better goalscoring or creative positions. In his past five appearances in the Premier League, he has attempted 20 shots, the same number as in his previous 15 appearances.

The majority of those shots are from inside the box or very close to the edge of it, rather than hopeful long-distance efforts. Key to that is making those forward runs into space. A similar type of run nearly secured him a second goal against Ipswich.

While his effort was saved, Cody Gakpo tapped in the follow-up.

The chance creation is on track too. Only Salah (49) and Alexander-Arnold (33) have created more chances from open play than Szoboszlai (28), who is level with Gakpo. It is the same for big chances created, with Szoboszlai’s six only bettered by Salah (17) and Alexander-Arnold (14).

The technical quality has never been in doubt with Szoboszlai but with that comes expectations. It is beginning to look like the midfielder is finding the balance to be more effective than ever both in and out of possession.

(Top photo: Liverpool FC via Getty Images)