Liverpool’s players were much improved in their 2-0 win at home to Aston Villa, but Dominik Szoboszlai was yet again his team’s star man.

The Reds picked up a vital three points at Anfield on Saturday evening, with Mohamed Salah and Ryan Gravenberch getting the goals, and Arne Slot was in positive spirits after the game.

“Happy with the result, with the performance and what I saw today, not only from the players but also the support we got from the fans, was what we needed today. Maybe we were a bit more on the lucky side than we’ve been in the last few weeks, where in my opinion we were also unlucky.

“So, the mistake of their goalkeeper and the deflection led to two of our goals. These are the margins we are talking about. I think in other games we’ve created more from open play than we did today. But in football it’s about results, not about the chances you create from open play.”

It was a night where so many Liverpool players found a new gear after poor form, including Mohamed Salah, who scored his 250th Liverpool goal, but it was Szoboszlai who stood out yet again.

Minutes played

90

Tackles won

2/2

Ground duels won

3/6

Recoveries

5

Pass completion rate

93%

Successful dribbles

1/1

Shots on target

2

Szoboszlai now Liverpool's "most important player"

Writing on X after the win over Villa, ESPN journalist Beth Lindop heaped praise on Szoboszlai, even calling him Liverpool’s “most important player” at the moment.

It is hard to argue with this assessment, with the Hungarian proving to be one of the biggest positives in an otherwise frustrating season to date.

While so many players around him have floundered, he has consistently reached his best level, providing incredible amounts of energy and showcasing his versatility by excelling in attacking midfield, defensive midfield and at right-back.

On current form, Szoboszlai is undroppable for Liverpool, giving Slot a conundrum when it comes to using the Reds’ second-most expensive signing in history, Florian Wirtz.

The German is still adjusting to life in the Premier League, and with the trio of Szoboszlai, Gravenberch and Alexis Mac Allister all doing well against Villa, it is hard to find a place for him currently.

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There is the option of playing Wirtz in the left wing in place of Cody Gakpo, but either way, Szoboszlai is a shoo-in for any Liverpool game, and has to be considered one of the first names on Slot’s team sheet.

Best game all season: Liverpool star was even better than Salah & Gravenberch