The game vs Brighton was a little bit tighter than I expected. I did think Liverpool would win, but I had 2-0 in my mind rather than 1-0. Brighton were well organised like they had been against Man Utd, and they did well to close off the channels Liverpool normally play through. They looked a threat when they had possession and Van Dijk was at his imperious best to make dealing with the threat look easy. I thought he and Joe Gomez looked good together, both playing it out from the back and looking very comfortable in possession. All of a sudden, with those two in front of Alisson, we’ve got two central defenders who can play football, and Matip aside, before that you’d be nervous of either centre back in possession.
Alisson too in this match showed the fans what he can do with the ball at his feet, at one point chipping over a player and playing a pass like he was Messi. There was a heart in mouth moment later in the game that had many fans and pundits thinking Bruce Grobbelaar was back in the nets.
Allisson Becker showing off his Messi-like footballing talents
What I liked about the display which many people went on to talk about was the gritty nature of it. Like against Palace, when the going got tough, the tough got going. Nobody shirked their responsibility and people fought to win their battles again, epitomised by the way James Milner stole possession which led to the goal (which I missed when I went to pop the kettle on, thinking a Brighton free-kick at the back was a safe time to do so without missing anything).
Score like an Egyptian
The stands were quiet a lot of the time, some strained versions of last seasons favourite tunes occasionally being heard, and it made for a risky but not quite uncomfortable ending to the game. In the past you could bet on Brighton getting a goal with Liverpool at only 1-0 up. Many fans were probably with me worrying about that happening again, and many are still not used to the reliability that we now have in those situations.
And so onto Matchday 4 before the international break. Liverpool travel to Leicester, fortunately for us visiting the team while Jamie Vardy is serving a ban for a red card. He is a frequent scorer against us, so it’s one less threat. This will actually be our hardest test so far, and it’s the most nervous I feel about getting a result. They still have a good squad of players to fill the gap and Claude Puel has a good record v Liverpool, only 1 defeat in seven games. It would be a pretty good start to the season if Liverpool could get a win, and while tough it should be no surprise if they do. Leicester rely on Vardy for goals, and Puel tends to play a defensive game and hit on the break, I think therefore without Vardy to bang one in it’ll be a case of them sitting tight and hoping to score on the break, but is that something they can easily do without Vardy against this particular Liverpool team?
Vardy’s acrobatic and nasty tackle, which sees him get his marching orders
Liverpool are expected to shuffle things around a little following last week’s games and Klopp’s comments. I did think there’d be the one change last week. Milner however started and showed why, being the initiator of the goal. He took some heavy challenges and looked tired again towards the end. I thought he’d have gone off when Keita did, who again showed his talents but did fade a little so I could see why Klopp did change him, also to nullify the game via Henderson. But overall his presence in the game was a massive difference.
I would be very surprised if the front three changed against Leicester, even though they’ve not clicked as a unit yet. Salah’s goal was a sublime piece of skill, angled to perfection into the far corner past the keeper from range, Firmino causes havoc by his energy and movement even when he doesn’t shine, while Mane is unlikely to have a second ‘quiet’ game (by his standards of late).
This is another of those games where the combination of energy, combativeness and skill that Keita has should be able to turn a draw or even a loss into a win. It’ll be a test he’s ready for having come through Palace away and a tough Brighton side. Wijnaldum is the midfield mainstay at the moment in the middle, so I don’t expect him to drop out. So if Milner has been tiring, perhaps Klopp will decline to use him? However I see this as another of those games where Milner will shine through his effort and battling qualities. So what gives in midfield? Perhaps nothing. Klopp also said that the squad is for the season, not necessarily the first few games. If anything, maybe Lallana could come in instead of Keita, to provide some energy, movement and creativity against a side who will sit back and wait for the counter. In defence I can’t see who he’d change. Therefore, perhaps we won’t see any changes and Klopp will have fooled everyone…
Is it time for Lallana, formerly Klopp’s favourite, to come back into the team?
I find myself in a strange situation where my head says Liverpool will win, but my heart is confused, not used to contemplating starting with 4 wins on the bounce. This makes it very hard to come out and say it will be a win for Liverpool, but opting for a draw seems an easy get out and sitting on the fence. I think this game should see Liverpool prevail, and by 2 goals to nil. Vardy missing will be quite difficult for them to cope with, Liverpool have been solid at the back, Puel will try to frustrate and stop the team playing. But whatever team Klopp picks, it will be able to find a way past the Leicester rearguard and take a goal, and if we get one I believe this week we’ll get two.