RB Leipzig v Liverpool Match Review & Player Ratings
Liverpool sit in 2nd place in the Champions League table, albeit only on goal difference. With three wins from three, six goals scored, and only one conceded, Arne Slot's Reds are in cruise control right now! With 11 wins from 12 games, Arne Slot has done something no other Premier League manager has achieved in their first season! He has the Reds ticking like a well-oiled machine when so many assumed a massive drop in form following the departure of Jurgen Klopp at the end of last season!
Lets get into the ratings!
Caoimhin Kelleher - 9/10 - Player of The Match
With Alisson set to miss even more time, the young Irishman stepped in to fill the boots of his Brazilian compatriot stunningly yet again. With stunning saves in both halves, 6 overall, and an xGOT faced and prevented of 0.96, Kelleher shows exactly why he is the world's best number 2 option! Without him for multiple crucial saves, the game would have ended in a draw or worse! Often overlooked as the most difficult position to play on the pitch, Kelleher deserves all his flowers and more for this Player of the Match performance!
Trent Alexander-Arnold - 7/10
The problem with Trent is, that he suffers from his success, for any normal, human-like fullback, this would be a 10/10 performance, but given he only played 75 minutes and has Arsenal at the weekend, this was the only score we deemed fit to give. Alexander-Arnold was his usual self, spraying passes no other player could in their wildest dreams off both his left and right boot, and when he gets home tonight, he will find a young Dutchman named Xavi SImons in his pocket. Simons was smothered by the Englishman numerous times before being taken off due to injury and was neutralised for the majority of the game.
Ibrahima Konaté - 7/10
Big Ibou, continuing his massively impressive run of form since the start of the season, solidifying himself as one of the best center-backs in the world this season, had another monstrous game. Even by his own lofty standards this season. With 8 clearances, 15 defensive actions, and 4 interceptions, both the Frenchman and Virgil van Dijk kept RB Leipzig's trio of Benjamin Sesko, Xavi Simons, and Ikoma Lois Openda very quiet for huge stretches of the game.
Virgil van Dijk - 8/10
Similar to Trent, Virgil is a victim of his strengths, while most center-backs would dream of a game like this, it's just pedestrian for the world's greatest defender. With big numbers in recoveries, with 6, and defensive actions, with 5, he paired fantastically with his French number 2, Konaté in their stifling of Leipzig's attack. Always a threat in the air, nearly grabbing himself a goal from a corner kick, this was another good game to add to the catalog of great we have witnessed from the Dutch Captian!
Konstantinos Tsimikas - 7/10
While filling in for Andrew Robertson, Kostas found himself with the tough job of assisting Virgil in a deeper position at times and also bombing up the wing to create as a fullback does. He has been working on his crosses and corners, as all corners that were played today got drilled into the dangerous areas of the box for our big boys to attack, nearly bagging himself an assist with a van Dijk header, just saved by the RB keeper, and ex-Liverpool player, Péter Gulácsi. Fantastically solid performance, with a clean sheet in 75 minutes and showing that the concern at left-back going into the season may have been slightly overblown!
Ryan Gravenberch - 8/10
What more can be said about Ryan Gravenberch that has not been said already? The young midfielder having the breakout season we could never have dreamed of, and is in a position we have been crying out for the last few years! Fantastic on the ball, with 90% passing accuracy, 7 recoveries, 9 defensive actions, and was only dribbled past ONCE! Winning a hilarious 71% of his duels across the entire game. We are watching the love child of Sergio Busquets and Andrea Pirlo emerge before our very eyes, and we are here for it!
Alexis Mac Allister - 8/10
You need a guy in every team who will quietly do the work each game and go unnoticed. The Glue Guy, you might call him. The Dennis Rodman, if you will. Someone who does the dirty work, and allows the others around him to shine, and in doing so, flies immensely under the radar and is only noticeable to those who watch the game. Ex-Liverpool striker, Peter Crouch, had a famous quote about Roberto Firmino during his time with Liverpool. ''If you watch the game you don't see Firmino. If you watch Firmino you see the whole game.'' Never has that been more true since, than with our Argentine Maestro in midfield. Stellar game from Macca again, and will still fly under the radar!
Mohamed Salah - 7/10
I don't think Darwin Nunez will be on Mohamed Salah's Christmas list this holiday season, with the Egyptian King only 2 goals off reaching a total of 50 in the competition, a headed attempt goalwards looked like it was going to go in off the post, until Mr. Chaos Ball himself toe pokes it into the back of the net. Salah got the assist, I suppose, and Darwin credited him with doing all the hard work when celebrating the goal with Virgil van Dijk, so, maybe he'll get a stocking gift! Nonetheless, Mo had himself a good game, creating from the wing as he always does with multiple passes into the final third, 67% of his long ball attempts found their mark, and found himself linking up well in transition to facilitate others, and of course, bag himself an assist!
Dominik Szoboszlai - 7/10
Dominik Szoboszlai has found the aggravation and frustration of many a Liverpool fan this season, given his outstanding start to last season only to teeter off and fall out of form. Many have felt this has continued this season, myself included, but the last two games, against Chelsea at the weekend and his former team tonight, I found myself watching him and being impressed. Whether this is due to the bar being lower than normal for his performances, I don't know. However, credit where it is due, he was fantastic in his link up play tonight, threading quick short passes and one-two one-touch passes to filter attackers through. This is what we need from our number 10, and what we have been crying out for all season. Quick simple link-up play that allows us to penetrate low blocks and get shots on goal. Now the Hungarian just needs to find his shooting boots that he conveniently leaves at National Team camp. Once he gets them, our attack jumps to another level!
Cody Gakpo - 8/10
While some might disagree with this rating considering he missed a very close opportuinity, Cody was instrumental in our build-up and attacking phases, with a wicked outside-of-the-boot cross to the head of Darwin Nunez for a very good chance, along with his cutting inside, beating his man off the dribble almost every time, and whipping a ball in with that right boot forcing saves from the keeper. He was a constant threat and on another day he had a brace and an assist. With 4 chances created and an xGA of 0.98, he was very unlucky not to get himself a return in this fixture. Massively powerful in his duels also, winning 56%!
Darwin Nunez - 7/10
The issue with Darwin last season was his inability to score the easy ones. The tap-ins. The simple goals that would have helped us. Away to Luton Town is an example. Skied a chance from 3 yards out. Nunez is a confidence player, and his run of form over the last two games stems from his stint at the International camp with Uruguay. In their final game, he won more duels than anyone else on the pitch, he then followed that up by taking his chance by the neck against Chelsea following an unfortunate injury to Diogo Jota and was instrumental in how we pressed their midfield and backline, dropping into midfield even to win the ball back and was silky in his build-up play and passing. It's like he watched Roberto Firmino compilations on the flight home. Arne Slot has told him that he needs to win his duels and contribute in more ways than just goals, and it seems he listened! Capped his performance tonight with a poachers dream goal. And could have had two before halftime with a mesmerizing cross from Cody Gakpo seen Darwin's header tipped over the bar by the Leipzig keeper. With an xGA of 1.37, things are looking up for Darwizzy!
Substitutes
Luis Diaz - 6/10
Quick Cameo for Mo Salah, coming on for 27 minutes. Had some very good runs of pace from both wings and found himself getting off one shot which nearly saw a rebound scored before the keeper smothered it!
Curtis Jones - 6/10
Following his statement game against Chelsea at the weekend, Jones found himself on the bench for Mac Allister this evening. Arne Slot clarifying this by stating that Alexis is no longer ill, and when you have a player play a great game like that in Jones, you don't want to use him too much! High praise from the boss!
Andrew Robertson - 7/10
Only playing for 25 minutes, Robbo immediately got himself stuck in as is his way. With bombing runs up the wing and 5 passes into the final third, a great short shift at the office for the Scotsman!
Joe Gomez - 7/10
Similarly to Andy Robertson, Gomez got stuck in straight away coming on for Trent, with 100% passing accuracy and 4 defensive actions, it was a brilliant 25 minute cameo from the Swiss Army Knife of the Liverpool back line!
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