Liverpool defeated Ipswich Town to start the Arne Slot era with three points, and while a clean sheet in the Premier League was greatly appreciated, the Reds weren't without defensive deficiencies.
Carved open on the counter in a grim reminder of lingering issues under Jurgen Klopp's later-stage leadership, the newly-promoted hosts will rue a lack of incisiveness in the opening half that they paid dearly for after the break, with Diogo Jota and Mohamed Salah doing the damage as Slot's slick system clicked and wreaked chaos.
Ah, but it's not at all doom and gloom: Liverpool are up and running and boy did they look intoxicating toward the end. However, Jarell Quansah's half-time substitution – due to Liverpool's lack of duel success – highlighted a cutting edge to Slot's tactical mind, a ruthless streak, that only deepens the argument that Liverpool need reinforcements at the rear.
Goals scored
0
2
Big chances
0
6
Shots (on target)
3 (0)
15 (5)
Possession
58%
66%
Dribbles completed
2/8 (25%)
9/14 (64%)
Tackles won
5/12 (40%)
4/8 (50%)
Duels won
22/53 (42%)
24/44 (55%)
Ball recoveries
26
19
Skipper Virgil van Dijk is indispensable, but Ibrahima Konate started only 17 Premier League matches last season and Quansah, aged 21, just 13. Both are robust and imposing ball-playing defenders, but with Joe Gomez free to pursue a transfer before the month's end, FSG might just be forced to make a move.
Liverpool transfer news
According to TEAMtalk, Liverpool might be in with a shout of signing Marc Guehi this month, with the touted centre-back at the centre of a protracted transfer campaign from Newcastle United.
Guehi, who starred for England at Euro 2024, has been a rock for Crystal Palace in recent years, with the Eagles playing hardball and rejecting a string of Newcastle approaches in recent days.
TEAMtalk's report claims that Guehi has admirers at Anfield, opening up the possibility of a potential hijack for the £75m-rated star – especially if Gomez is sold for a fee of around £45m.
Why Marc Guehi is so sought-after
Gomez is Liverpool's longest-serving senior player and was acknowledged for having a “renaissance” last term by writer Joel Rabinowitz after previously falling by the wayside.
After a long Anfield career that has seen every emotion and a heap of silverware and success, Gomez has probably earned the right to call time and seek out pastures new, and there's a growing sense that a deal could be struck for a defender inside the next two weeks.
Guehi would be the dream fit, regarded as one of the Premier League's finest rising centre-halves and rewarded for his progress with a crucial role in Gareth Southgate's Three Lions squad this summer, starting six matches en route to the final and being hailed for his "excellence" by renowned journalist Henry Winter.
In the Premier League last season, as per Sofascore, the 24-year-old played in 25 fixtures and impressed with his intelligent and industrious approach to his craft, completing 87% of his passes, winning 67% of his ground duels and averaging 3.5 clearances and 4.8 ball recoveries per game.
Effectively, such metrics suggest that he is a player of the Van Dijk mould, composed and almost languid in his movements but expertly reading the game and positioning himself just so.
His high level of performance last term is made all the more impressive by the fact that he only played three times under Oliver Glasner because of injury, who transformed Selhurst Park in February following a dreary end to Roy Hodgson's tenure.
He's even been described as a "beast" by talent scout Jacek Kulig, and given that he just continues to go from strength to strength, Guehi might prove to be a sensational signing for the Redmen, securing a spot alongside Van Dijk this season.
Why Marc Guehi would start for Liverpool
Guehi has proved his worth over recent years, completing an £18m transfer to Palace from Chelsea in 2021 and since featuring 112 times, even donning the armband for the outfit's Premier League opener against Brentford last weekend.
He has an underrated passing game that would align with the football that Slot hopes to instil on Merseyside and a natural fortitude too – it's more than conceivable that he could leapfrog over Quansah and Konate and take his place as the No. 1 centre-back (Van Dijk notwithstanding, obviously).
Quansah, make no mistake, is a top talent and has been an integral part of Liverpool's first team since integrating last summer following a loan spell in League One.
As per FBref, the 6 foot 6 colossus ranks among the top 3% of positional peers across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for passes attempted, the top 18% for progressive passes and the top 16% for tackles per 90, as per FBref.
A system is an important thing in football, and loose comparisons can be dangerous, should key underlying points not be observed. Guehi hasn't had the same level of ball-playing success over the past year since he's largely performed in a faltering and pragmatic Hodgson system.
Let's take a look at his Euro 2024 metrics instead… ahh, the picture becomes clearer. Guehi ranked among the top 6% of centre-backs in Germany for assists per 90 and recorded a 93.5% pass completion rate. In a different system, he would bloom into a player of greater ball-playing distinction than Quansah – at this stage, anyway.
Hailed as a "monster" of a defender by Palace reporter Bobby Manzi, Guehi is the real deal, and his complete-package style of play could be perfect alongside Van Dijk, consigning the top talent that is Quansah to a more bit-part role for another season.
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ByAngus Sinclair