Dominik Szoboszlai should ship for Liverpool in opposition to Man Metropolis
After demolishing Qarabag 6-0 and Newcastle 4-1, Liverpool might be seeking to make it three wins on the bounce as they host Manchester Metropolis on Sunday, a match that can pit the winners of the final eight Premier League titles in opposition to one another.
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While Metropolis sit second within the desk, six factors behind league leaders Arsenal, the defending champions sit sixth within the desk, one level behind Chelsea, two behind Manchester United, seven behind Aston Villa, and eight behind Metropolis. It stays to be seen if Liverpool can come away with the victory, but when they’re to take action, they’ll want Dominik Szoboszlai to be at his best possible.
Born and raised in Hungary, Szoboszlai left for Austrian powerhouse Crimson Bull Salzburg as a teen and excelled, incomes the eye of RB Leipzig, who paid €20 million to make him the costliest Hungarian footballer of all time. Szoboszlai furthered his progress in Germany, profitable two DFB-Pokal titles, earlier than making the transfer to Liverpool in 2023 for a whopping €70 million.
After step by step adjusting to life underneath Jürgen Klopp, Szoboszlai loved a reasonably robust second season underneath Arne Slot. He received the Dutchman’s favor together with his intense urgent efforts, proving important at main the cost each on and off the ball and filtering passes into the ultimate third. And on the finish of the 2024/25 season, he grew to become the primary Hungarian to win the Premier League title.
This season, nonetheless, it’s honest to say that Liverpool and Szoboszlai’s kind have gone in reverse instructions. While the Reds have suffered an underwhelming title protection, Szoboszlai has established himself as one of many most interesting attacking midfielders in European soccer. Regardless of initially having to fit in at proper again following Trent Alexander-Arnold’s departure, Szoboszlai made his mark each on and off the ball, slotting in a world-class free kick to sink Arsenal earlier into the season.
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After an ideal begin to the marketing campaign, Liverpool have suffered a dreadful few months underneath Slot, profitable simply one among their final six league fixtures, while they’ve additionally misplaced to Crystal Palace within the EFL Cup. The only saving graces have come within the FA Cup, with Liverpool set to face Brighton later this month, and the UEFA Champions League, with Liverpool ending third within the league desk.
Photograph IMAGO
By way of people, nonetheless, it’s honest to say that the largest standout has been Szoboszlai. He has successfully changed Mohamed Salah as Liverpool’s principal man — all the pieces runs and flows by him. He has the boldness to take free kicks from Salah, and the effectiveness to again it up. However don’t simply take my phrase for it: check out the numbers.
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Whereas the likes of Cody Gakpo, Florian Wirtz and Alexis Mac Allister have suffered a drop in kind, Szoboszlai has taken his sport up a notch and is on track for the most effective scoring return of his profession with 8 objectives and seven assists in 33 appearances. He presently sits within the Liverpool squad’s high three gamers for Anticipated Assists (3.56) within the Premier League, pictures heading in the right direction per sport (0.7), huge probabilities created (5), key passes per sport (1.9), correct lengthy balls per sport (3.5), and tackles per sport (1.5).
Szoboszlai has already established himself as one of many biggest Hungarian footballers of all time, scoring a last-second winner vs. Iceland to ship them to the 2021 European Championship, earlier than guiding them again to the next addition. All issues thought-about, he has scored 17 objectives and 10 assists in 60 appearances for the Magyars, and he has worn the captain’s armband since November 2022.
He’s already excelled in Hungary, Austria, and Germany, however now, Szoboszlai is stamping his footprint in England and establishing himself as one of many most interesting gamers within the Premier League. Above all, he’s serving as a task mannequin for numerous Hungarian gamers like and offering inspiration for a rustic that has swiftly nosedived ever since its glory days through the center third of the twentieth century.
“Gamers who’re pretty much as good as Dominik don’t spend that lengthy in Hungary — that’s why he went to Salzburg and did very properly there, earlier than going to Leipzig,” acknowledged Skribek, who leads all Zalaegerszeg gamers for objectives (7) and objective contributions (10). “However when he joined Liverpool, no person was anticipating him to do what he’s doing now. His success has been nice for golf equipment in Hungary as a result of he’s opened the doorways for increasingly gamers to maneuver to different leagues.”
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At simply 25 years of age, Dominik Szoboszlai has already cemented his standing as an indispensable determine in midfield for Crimson Bull Salzburg, RB Leipzig, Liverpool, and the Hungary nationwide crew. Now, can he information Liverpool to victory in opposition to Manchester Metropolis?