Paul Merson – The Empire of The Kop

‘Few come close’: Paul Merson says 25-y/o Liverpool player is absolutely unstoppable on the ball

Farrell Keeling — Thu, 30 Nov 2023 19:24:50 +0000

Much has been made of Trent Alexander-Arnold’s defensive limitations, with a vocal number of critics perhaps failing to give credit where credit’s due.

Paul Merson may be counted amongst the opposing camp, highlighting the No.66’s passing capabilities and strength on the ball.

“Credit has to go to Trent Alexander-Arnold. I think he is the best passer in the Premier League,” the former Arsenal star wrote for Sportskeeda in his pre-match preview of the Reds’ clash with Fulham.

“A lot has been said about him but he went and got the equalizer against the best team in the land last weekend.

“He might not be the best in the world at his position because there are players who are better than him defensively. But on the ball, few come close.”

Whilst debate continues to rage over where the Academy graduate is best placed on the pitch (ask Gareth Southgate and Jurgen Klopp and expect different answers), few can argue over the fullback’s offensive prowess.

Some fine-tuning required but Trent’s still phenomenal

The pundit brought up our right-back’s passing, so let’s see what the stats have to say on the matter.

Trent was on target vs Manchester City at the weekend – (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)

Alexander-Arnold, rather predictably, stacks up well against the globe’s elite – ranking in the 99th percentile for passes attempted, according to FBref.

The most critical thing to observe, however, is how this contributes to the creative machine. Trent also ranks in the 99th percentile for xAG (expected assisted goals) and shot-creating actions.

How does Trent compare?

To put this into the context of raw numbers, the 25-year-old is registering a comparable number of creative actions per 90 to the league’s top midfield creators.

Bruno Fernandes, for instance, only registers roughly two more shot-creating actions (5.99) per 90 and has a slightly higher xAG rate (0.50) compared to Trent (4.05 and 0.34 respectively).

Kevin De Bruyne has an xAG rate of 0.51 and registers 5.98 shot-creating actions per 90 – (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images)

Against James Maddison, the England international isn’t far off either, coming close to the Tottenham man’s xAG of 0.37.

Martin Odegaard? Almost double the Norwegian’s xAG of 0.19 and comparable to his rate of 4.55 shot-creating actions per 90.

For a defender, those are absolutely ludicrous numbers and are more than worthy of praise.

#Ep96 of The Empire of the Kop Podcast: EOTK Insider with Neil Jones

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‘You’ve got to’: Merson urges Klopp to play CM against City; only started 2 PL games

Peter Kenny Jones — Thu, 23 Nov 2023 20:05:10 +0000

There’s no secret that Liverpool’s upcoming game against Manchester CIty is a big one and Paul Merson wants one surprise option to be handed a start for the match.

Writing for Sportskeeda, the former Arsenal man said: ‘You’ve gotta be able to defend against City. In midfield, I’d probably play Wataru Endo and push Alexis Mac Allister in the ‘number 8’ position.

‘He keeps the ball and that’s the kind of thing you want to do against Man City. If you want to beat City, you’ve got to capitalise on that extra pass that goes through the lines.

‘You need players who can pick that pass. Endo is the man for me here because he is patient and there is the added advantage of unlocking Mac Allister’s full potential’.

Seeing as Wataru Endo has only started two Premier League games since signing for the club this summer, it would be somewhat of a shock to see him being given a start against the champions.

The Japanese international impressed in our 3-0 victory over Brentford and has actually started our last two matches, meaning that he could be provided the chance to make it three on the spin.

Jurgen Klopp will be handed somewhat of a selection headache with the likes of Curtis Jones and Ryan Gravenberch coming back from injury, Alexis Mac Allister returning late from South America and other options having also travelled the globe.

It’s an interesting argument from the ex-Portsmouth player and one that shows the improved performances of our No.3 in recent weeks.

Thankfully though, we have a very talented man in charge of selecting our side and we can all trust that he’ll make the best decision to help us win the match.

Anfield Annals: Matt McQueen the Anfield All-Rounder who did everything in 36 years as a Red

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Paul Merson says maligned Liverpool player finally ‘showing his class this season’

Farrell Keeling — Sat, 04 Nov 2023 07:19:44 +0000

Paul Merson has noticed a stark improvement in Darwin Nunez’s overall game in the 2023/24 season.

The Sky Sports pundit pointed to the Uruguayan’s poor decision-making last term to illustrate that fact, with the striker now ‘showing his class’.

“Darwin Nunez scored a great goal against Bournemouth in the Carabao Cup and is showing his class this season,” the former Arsenal star wrote in his column for Sportskeeda. “Last year, his decision making wasn’t the greatest and he wasn’t getting his head up enough to look for his teammates, but he looks a lot more confident now.”

The Uruguayan has certainly showcased this in his numbers, amassing 12 goal contributions in 14 games across all competitions.

A completely different player

For context, Nunez is only seven goal contributions away from matching his tally in the prior campaign (19).

Bear in mind that’s in exactly a third of the games played (42) – or almost a quarter of the minutes (675) he collected (2,365).

Darwin Nunez is enjoying some red-hot form at the moment – (Photo by Bryn Lennon/Getty Images)

Also consider that our No.9’s pressing, dribbling and hold-up play appear to have improved and… my goodness!

The scary thing is there’s still plenty of potential left for Darwin Nunez to realise. Thank goodness he’ll be doing that under Jurgen Klopp.

EOTK Insider with Neil Jones: Andre ticks a box, Liverpool have a ‘real top player’ with Kevin De Bruyne gift, unfair treatment of Nunez and much more!

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‘Settled in quicker than snow’ – Merson says ‘oustanding’ Liverpool man is his ‘favourite player in the Premier League’

Max Rudd — Thu, 02 Nov 2023 21:35:13 +0000

Paul Merson has named one Liverpool ace as his ‘favourite player in the Premier League’ and has claimed the 23-year-old has settled in England ‘quicker than snow’.

Dominik Szoboszlai was signed from RB Leipzig for £60m in the summer and has hit the ground running with Jurgen Klopp’s side with a number of exceptional performances in the middle of the park.

The Hungary international, who has registered two goals and two assists this term (across all competitions), has revitalised the Reds’ midfield which struggled massively last season as Liverpool missed out on a top four finish for just the second time under our German tactician.

“Darwin Nunez scored a great goal against Bournemouth in the Carabao Cup and is showing his class this season,” Merson told Sportskeeda (via Football365).

“Last year, his decision making wasn’t the greatest and he wasn’t getting his head up enough to look for his teammates, but he looks a lot more confident now.

“Dominik Szoboszlai, on the other hand, has been my favourite player in the Premier League this season – he’s been absolutely outstanding! He’s come into a brand new league for a huge fee and settled in quicker than snow, that is some achievement.”

Szoboszlai deserves huge credit for how he’s adjusted to life in the English top flight – a league which is recognised as the hardest in the world by most football fans.

He’s brought a lot of energy, creativity and work rate to our engine room and he’s already a huge favourite amongst Kopites.

Our midfield was in need of an overhaul and that’s exactly what Klopp did in the summer with our No. 8 joining the club alongside Alexis Mac Allister, Wataru Endo and Ryan Gravenberch.

The Hungarian appears to be loving life on Merseyside and let’s hope he can pick up some silverware during his debut campaign at L4.

EOTK Insider with Neil Jones: Andre ticks a box, Liverpool have a ‘real top player’ with Kevin De Bruyne gift, unfair treatment of Nunez and much more!

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Alongside Mac Allister: Paul Merson says Liverpool have a player who’s ‘blown people away’

Farrell Keeling — Sat, 28 Oct 2023 07:27:35 +0000

Paul Merson has sung the praises of Dominik Szoboszlai and Alexis Mac Allister following their impressive starts to life at Liverpool this season.

The Englishman paid notice too to the challenging nature of the latter’s circumstances playing out of position to accommodate the lack of a ‘specialist defensive midfielder’.

“Dominik Szoboszlai has come in and blown people away with his performances, but Alexis Mac Allister is a top player too,” the Sky Sports pundit wrote in his Sportskeeda column. “He’s playing as a No. 6 which isn’t really his usual position, but Liverpool are winning games right now, so it shouldn’t matter, at least until they sign a specialist defensive midfielder.”

The Hungarian has been quite the force of nature higher up the pitch for Jurgen Klopp, averaging 2.3 key passes, 2 big chances created, 7.1 ball recoveries and 4.1 ground duels won per game in the English top-flight.

Given the appalling state of disrepair the midfield had fallen into, with stalwarts in Jordan Henderson and Fabinho dropping below their usually high standards of performance, the turnaround this term has been nothing short of exceptional.

With that in mind, we have to praise the extraordinary efforts of our recruitment team in capitalising on the available options in what was a difficult market this summer following the influx of money from the Middle East.

Given that both Ryan Gravenberch and Wataru Endo also appear to be building some momentum too, we imagine some might be forced to reevaluate their earlier assessments of our summer window!

#Ep94 of The Empire of the Kop Podcast: EOTK Insider with Neil Jones

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Merson says Klopp has ‘an embarrassment of riches up front’ as Liverpool vs Nottingham Forest prediction is made

Max Rudd — Fri, 27 Oct 2023 15:30:02 +0000

Paul Merson has told Jurgen Klopp he has ‘an embarrassment of riches up front’ as Liverpool prepare for the visit of Nottingham Forest this weekend.

The Anfield outfit are currently fourth in the Premier League table, three points adrift of league leaders Spurs, and will look to pick up their seventh win of the campaign on Sunday against Steve Cooper’s side.

Klopp strengthened his options in the middle of the park with the signings of four new midfielders in the summer but it’s his options in attack that Merson is blown away by as he offered his prediction for this weekend’s game.

“Liverpool should win this one quite comfortably, I think they’ll score a few goals at home to build on their 2-0 win against arch-rivals Everton,” Merson told Sportskeeda. “Jurgen Klopp has an embarrassment of riches up front with the likes of Mohamed Salah, Luis Diaz, Darwin Nunez, Diogo Jota and Cody Gakpo. Between the five of them, they’ll rack up 50 Premier League goals a season even if each of them scores ten over the course of 38 games, which is a very realistic tally considering their start to the season.

“Dominik Szoboszlai has come in and blown people away with his performances, but Alexis Mac Allister is a top player too. He’s playing as a No. 6 which isn’t really his usual position, but Liverpool are winning games right now, so it shouldn’t matter, at least until they sign a specialist defensive midfielder.

“Thiago Alcantara has been incredibly unlucky with injuries, but I’d be shocked if he stayed at Liverpool beyond this season. The Reds are unlikely to offload him in January because he’s still a top player when he’s fit, but at the end of the season, I can see him moving on as a free agent. Liverpool 3-0 Nottingham Forest.”

Dominik Szoboszlai and Alexis Mac Allister have been brilliant since their moves to Merseyside but Merson is right to point out that the latter has been deployed out of position.

He can certainly play in the deeper role and showcase his talent but he’s a lot more affective when he’s getting on the ball higher up the pitch and making things happen.

Thiago Alcantara, meanwhile, is yet to feature for the club this term and time really is ticking on his Liverpool career with his current deal expiring at the end of the season.

The Spaniard is such a talented player on his day so it would be a huge shame to see his final campaign at L4 hampered by injury.

For now, though, let’s focus on the impending clash with Forest and hope for another huge three points.

#Ep94 of The Empire of the Kop Podcast: EOTK Insider with Neil Jones

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‘I don’t see…’ – Paul Merson makes ‘extraordinary’ Liverpool vs Everton prediction

Farrell Keeling — Fri, 20 Oct 2023 20:58:39 +0000

Paul Merson has predicted a 2-0 Liverpool win ahead of the Merseyside Derby this Saturday.

The Englishman pointed to an ‘extraordinary’ gulf between Everton and Jurgen Klopp’s men, with Sean Dyche’s men only three points off the relegation spots – in stark comparison to the former in fourth place.

“The gulf between these two teams is too big, and I don’t see how Everton can hold out this weekend,” the former Arsenal star wrote in his column for Sportskeeda.

“It’s extraordinary how big the gap between these two teams has become over the years.

“This game can be a leveller on a few occasions, but you watch both teams this season and you can’t see anything but a Liverpool win.”

The Anfield-based outfit will be hopeful of securing a first win in the league since 24th September, with an unfortunate defeat to Tottenham and a draw with Brighton preceding the upcoming clash.

A gulf and a half but no room to rest

We can objectively state that Liverpool have far more in the way of quality in comparison to the Toffees as things currently stand.

That said, when it comes to a derby, all bets are undeniably off over expectations around the fixture

With the games coming thick and fast between now and mid-November, kicking off an intense period with a victory over our city rivals would be the perfect way to set the right tone.

#Ep94 of The Empire of the Kop Podcast: EOTK Insider with Neil Jones

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(Video) ‘You’re scared!’: Paul Merson pulls no punches & savagely slams Mike Dean over take on VAR horror show

Farrell Keeling — Sat, 07 Oct 2023 13:29:09 +0000

Paul Merson spoke for all for Liverpool fans when criticising the match officials’ handling of Liverpool’s 2-1 defeat to Tottenham.

Whilst Mike Dean repeatedly insisted the laws of the game prevented VAR from intervening to deliver the correct decision in the game – with Luis Diaz’s goal wrongly ruled out for offside – the former Gunner rightly pointed out the insanity of the former referee’s logic.

The Sky pundit is absolutely spot on to point out that the lack of use of common sense in officiating a game makes very little sense.

You can catch the clip below courtesy of Sky Sports:

Paul Merson and Mike Dean clash over 'the laws of the game' pic.twitter.com/lil10ERvne

— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) October 7, 2023

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‘No one’s going to die’: Paul Merson now pitches in on Liverpool’s VAR debacle

Farrell Keeling — Fri, 06 Oct 2023 11:06:19 +0000

Paul Merson has backed Liverpool following a contentious 2-1 defeat at Tottenham in which VAR and Simon Hooper took centre-stage.

The Sky Sports pundit urged decision-makers to adapt the rulebook to give the officiating team licence to stop the game and admit fault.

“Currently, the rules in the Premier League effectively say that if someone makes a mistake, don’t correct it and get on with the game. That’s not good enough – change the rule! Common sense is not as common as we think it is,” the former Arsenal star wrote for Sportskeeda.

“If you break the rule during the game, no one’s going to die. The referees could have stopped the game and said that they made a mistake.

“Show it on your big screens and give the goal – not one Tottenham fan could’ve moaned about it. The goal was miles onside and it was obvious.”

The Merseysiders are set to take on Brighton and Hove Albion in the English top-flight after securing a 2-0 win over Belgian outfit Royal Union Saint-Gilloise in the Europa League on Thursday.

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Whilst we can appreciate that certain calls like the decision to award a red card for Curtis Jones upon review will inspire a certain degree of head-scratching, black-and-white mistakes like the failure to grant Luis Diaz a legal goal simply can’t be allowed to happen again in future.

If that means an adaption of the rules and procedures that govern officials during matches is required, then so be it.

We fail to see how a total lack of flexibility in the meantime is in the best interests of the Premier League and protecting the integrity of match officials.

EOTK FPL Gameweek 7 Review : Disaster for Liverpool, captain Watkins? Injuries piling up…

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(Video) ‘We all make mistakes’ – Paul Merson weighs in on VAR fiasco involving Liverpool

Max Rudd — Tue, 03 Oct 2023 19:50:13 +0000

Paul Merson has claimed the VAR shambles during Liverpool’s defeat to Spurs on Saturday was ‘very sloppy’ but has reminded supporters that ‘we all make mistakes’.

The Arsenal legend, who was speaking to talkSPORT (via their page on X), emphasised how poor officiating decisions that can affect ‘big football games’ and highlighted the impact that such decisions can have on football clubs.

Merson claimed it would’ve been wrong for the officials to go back and award the goal once they realised their error but urged those in charge of these decisions to ‘concentrate’.

The audio footage of the fiasco was released earlier this evening by the Pgmol which further highlighted the abysmal performance of VAR Darren England and AVAR Dan Cook.

Check Merson speaking below:

“We all make mistakes.”

“It’s very sloppy, but they’re human beings. They’ve got to concentrate."

Paul Merson urges fans to remember that the VAR refs are human beings pic.twitter.com/ui1eD2eUjJ

— talkSPORT (@talkSPORT) October 3, 2023

#Ep92 of The Empire of the Kop Podcast: EOTK Insider with Neil Jones: VAR disaster at Tottenham, what next for the Reds, Liverpool Women impress AND MORE!

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Paul Merson fires Man City warning in ‘massive’ Liverpool vs Tottenham prediction

Peter Kenny Jones — Thu, 28 Sep 2023 19:33:22 +0000

Liverpool appear to be riding the crest of a wave in terms of our brilliant start to the season and we all hope that will continue against Tottenham but one pundit has sent the Reds a warning before the match.

Speaking with Sky Sports, Paul Merson said: ‘If Liverpool come away from Tottenham with a win next week then it’s a massive result. I’m not saying they will lose the game, but to go to Tottenham now, you’re up against a very good team with good players…

‘Liverpool are doing well at the moment because you just have to stick in there. You have to take it a game at a time and you don’t want to be giving them a head start.

‘The biggest advantage Liverpool have is they can draw to Tottenham and Brighton over the next two weeks because they still have to play Man City twice – and they can beat Man City twice’.

It wouldn’t be the best tactic to go out for a draw against both Tottenham and Brighton in our next two league games and if we have such confidence that we can do the double over Manchester City – then we should be looking for wins in every game.

It’s been such a great start to the season that it does feel like we really can beat any team that we face, with cup competitions providing a great excuse to hand minutes to squad players and rotate the squad for freshness.

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Diogo Jota and Cody Gakpo have had a good start to the campaign but to be able to hand them both a start and see them both score against Leicester City will be great for Jurgen Klopp.

Fringe players being able to jump into action will be a massive plus and if we keep winning, that mentality will follow through into the bigger matches like our next two in the Premier League.

Let’s go and get a ‘massive result’, do it again in the following fixture and make a real impact by showing everyone that we’re gunning for bigger prizes than just Champions League qualification this season.

EOTK FPL Gameweek 6 Review : Botman the difference-maker? Son now a must-have? You’re a fool if you don’t pick Salah…

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‘Absolutely outstanding’: Sky Sports pundit can’t believe ‘everybody else missed out’ on Liverpool signing

Farrell Keeling — Thu, 28 Sep 2023 17:28:18 +0000

There’s a steady queue of commentators forming to lavish Liverpool’s standout star of the season, Dominik Szoboszlai, with praise.

Paul Merson was the latest in line to express his admiration, questioning how on earth ‘everybody else’ failed to land the talented Hungarian.

“Dominik Szoboszlai has been absolutely outstanding, how has everybody else missed out on him?” the Sky Sports pundit wrote in his Sportskeeda column.

The 22-year-old was pivotal once again when asked to enter the field of play in the second-half of the Reds’ Carabao Cup encounter with Leicester City, putting the hosts ahead with a sweetly hit long-range strike before Diogo Jota put the tie beyond the Foxes’ reach.

Six games into the league season, we’re at a loss to explain why so many top Premier League outfits – never mind Europe at large – were apparently asleep at the wheel when it came to our new No.8.

To give credit where credit’s due, Newcastle United were thought to have held at least some vague interest in Szoboszlai, though there wasn’t even the slightest hurdle lying in wait for us when meeting his £60m release clause at RB Leipzig.

It was the best possible answer Liverpool could provide after missing out on long-term target Jude Bellingham, with the former Bundesliga ace adding dynamism, culture and sheer work-rate to a midfield sorely lacking in all departments last term.

EOTK Insider with Neil Jones: Liverpool’s challenge before January transfer window, mentality monsters back? Reds player ‘hung out to dry’ and much more!

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‘They can…’ – Merson says Liverpool could replicate what only one EPL team managed last season

Liam Togher — Thu, 28 Sep 2023 08:45:00 +0000

Paul Merson believes that Liverpool are capable of replicating a feat this season that only one Premier League club managed in 2022/23.

In his latest column for Sky Sports, the 55-year-old was looking ahead to the Reds’ clash away to Tottenham on Saturday, believing that three points for Jurgen Klopp’s side would be ‘a massive result’ against another unbeaten team in the top flight so far this term.

The ex-Arsenal player also stated that LFC drawing their next two games at Spurs and Brighton wouldn’t be overly damaging as he believes they’re capable of repeating Brentford’s feat from last season of beating Manchester City home and away.

Merson wrote: “If Liverpool come away from Tottenham with a win next week then it’s a massive result. I’m not saying they will lose the game, but to go to Tottenham now, you’re up against a very good team with good players.”

He later added: “Liverpool, meanwhile, still have got so much work to do. Manchester City are destroying the league at the moment, they’re putting so much pressure on everybody. It’s phenomenal what they’re doing.

“Liverpool are doing well at the moment because you just have to stick in there. You have to take it a game at a time and you don’t want to be giving them a head start.

“The biggest advantage Liverpool have is they can draw to Tottenham and Brighton over the next two weeks because they still have to play Man City twice – and they can beat Man City twice.”

As impressive as Liverpool’s start to the season has been, with seven successive wins in all competitions, the upcoming trips to Tottenham and Brighton (fourth and third in the league respectively) are two big hurdles to overcome.

If we can come through that double away day with four points or more, belief in a genuine challenge to Manchester City for the title will surely grow, even after just eight matches of the top-flight season.

As for downing the champions twice, the fact that only Brentford managed it last term (and one of those wins came after Pep Guardiola’s side had already hoisted the trophy) shows how difficult and rare a feat it is to pull off.

Even though Liverpool have won five and drawn two of their eight league meetings against City at Anfield under Klopp, we haven’t been victorious at the Etihad in any of our last seven top-flight visits (Transfermarkt), so it’d take a couple of top performances to repeat the Bees’ achievement of 2022/23.

Still, the Reds are growing in belief with each passing game, and with the German scoring 10 victories over the treble winners during his time in charge on Merseyside (Transfermarkt), he has a hold over the Cityzens that few other managers can boast.

Let’s get over Spurs and Brighton for now – two strong results there could set up nicely for after the October international break!

EOTK Insider with Neil Jones: Liverpool’s challenge before January transfer window, mentality monsters back? Reds player ‘hung out to dry’ and much more!

The post ‘They can…’ – Merson says Liverpool could replicate what only one EPL team managed last season appeared first on The Empire of The Kop.

‘What a player’ – Paul Merson simply astonished by the brilliance of £34.3m Liverpool maverick

Farrell Keeling — Fri, 22 Sep 2023 17:00:18 +0000

Neutrals have required a frankly astonishing level of convincing when it comes to acknowledging the quality of Mo Salah.

Indeed, Sky Sports’ Paul Merson continues to hold the belief, as demonstrated by his latest tweet on X, that the Liverpool wide man simply doesn’t get the credit he deserves in the sport.

Salah what a player still don’t think he gets credit he deserves one of best in world

— Paul Merson (@PaulMerse) September 22, 2023

With seven goal contributions to his name this term – not to mention a whopping 46 amassed in 2022/23 despite the difficulties Jurgen Klopp’s men were experiencing across the pitch – the 31-year-old (signed for £34.3m back in 2017, according to Sky Sports) truly is at the peak of his powers.

Let’s treasure Mo Salah for as long as Liverpool have him

Amid all the links and ongoing speculation around Saudi interest and debates over the timing of potentially selling Salah, it’s critical that we don’t lose sight of just how lucky we all are, neutrals and Liverpool fans alike, to be witnessing genuine greatness in our time.

As our fifth-highest record goalscorer of all-time, among other accolades, there can be no question over that fact.

If this is to be the Egyptian King’s final season at Anfield – an eventuality that will (and should) inspire shattered hearts across Merseyside and the global fanbase – let’s make sure we’re enjoying every second, every magnificent slalom dribble, every jaw-dropping goal.

Soak it all in, as genius of this calibre doesn’t come about very often.

EOTK Insider with Neil Jones: Liverpool’s challenge before January transfer window, mentality monsters back? Reds player ‘hung out to dry’ and much more!

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‘Suits this game better…’ – Sky pundit expects Klopp to bench £120k-p/w Liverpool ace on Sunday

Liam Togher — Fri, 22 Sep 2023 08:54:59 +0000

Paul Merson has given his prediction as to one selection dilemma Jurgen Klopp might be facing for Liverpool’s Premier League clash against West Ham on Sunday.

Both teams go into the fixture off the back of winning starts to their respective Europa League campaigns, while both have also looked impressive in the early weeks of the domestic season.

The Sky Sports pundit gave his weekly predictions to Sportskeeda and has backed the Reds for a narrow home win, while he also thinks one specific player who started against LASK on Thursday will keep his place.

Merson wrote: “I think Darwin Nunez will start ahead of Cody Gakpo. The Uruguayan is more pacy and direct, while the latter knits it all together and brings others into play. They are both talented players in their own right, but Nunez suits this game better.”

Merson’s analysis of the Liverpool duo is fair, although we’re likely to be kept guessing as to which of them will start at centre-forward right up until the team is named around 1pm on Sunday.

Nunez put forward a strong case yesterday with a goal and an assist in the win over LASK, which took him to five goal contributions for the campaign so far (Transfermarkt). He also bagged the winner at home to West Ham in the corresponding fixture last term, something which won’t be lost on Klopp.

However, the £120,000-per-week Gakpo (Capology) has generally been preferred to lead the line domestically, starting all but one Premier League game so far in 2023/24 and scoring in last weekend’s win away to Wolves (Transfermarkt).

Also, it was notable that while the Uruguayan played the full 90 minutes in Austria, the Dutch forward was an unused substitute and should therefore be much fresher by the time kick-off on Sunday comes around.

You could make a legitimate case for either of them to start at centre-forward, and it’s a testament to Liverpool’s riches in attack that one of Nunez or Gakpo could be left out and the team wouldn’t look any weaker for it.

As ever, we trust the manager to make what he believes is the right call when it comes to deciding on his starting XI this weekend.

EOTK Insider with Neil Jones: Liverpool’s challenge before January transfer window, mentality monsters back? Reds player ‘hung out to dry’ and much more!

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