A Mohamed Salah (£12.5m) haul, a Diogo Jota (£7.5m) goal, Trent Alexander-Arnold (£7.0m) creating chances and two game-time blows for budget defenders: there was much to dissect from Liverpool’s opening-day win at Ipswich Town.
We discuss the Fantasy Premier League (FPL) talking points from Portman Road.
SLOT ON WHY QUANSAH WAS SUBBED
The good news for Jarell Quansah (£4.5m) owners: he isn’t injured. The bad news: his half-time withdrawal and the introduction of Ibrahima Konate (£5.0m) preceded a much-improved Liverpool performance.
Arne Slot was quick to point that Quansah wasn’t the only culprit in the first half.
“First thing I said was we don’t have to speak about tactics if you lose so many duels.
“Not that Jarell [Quansah] lost every duel – many of us lost too many duels – but I think we needed Konate to win the long balls through the air from their number nine.
“Yep [it was tactical, not an injury].” – Arne Slot on Jarell Quansah’s withdrawal
The £4.5m defender was, however, the sacrificial lamb.
To the untrained eye of this writer, Quansah seemed to be one of Liverpool’s better defenders in the first half. There wasn’t even much in the data (Konate three of four aerial duels won, Quansah two of four).
But what matters is Slot’s opinion. And there’s no doubt that the Reds were improved after the break.
Up next for Liverpool? Only Brentford, the team who absolutely love an aerial duel. No team threw more crosses into the box last season than the Bees.
There’s every chance Quansah doesn’t start in Gameweek 2.
PLUS CA CHANGE…
Salah hauling in Gameweek 1. Jota keeping up his excellent goals per 90 rate. Alexander-Arnold supplying some gilt-edged chances. Jurgen Klopp may have gone but this could have been a match from his tenure.
Slot said in Friday’s press conference that he wouldn’t “change that much because many things were really good“. That didn’t stop some kneejerk half-time assessments (‘a team in transition’) of a sub-par first half in which Liverpool managed just three shots, none in the box.
Remember that Klopp’s Liverpool had started slowly and drawn their last two Gameweek 1 fixtures, too.
Perhaps there was an element of surprise about just how aggressive Ipswich were pressing them. The Tractor Boys exerted more way pressures in the opposition half (101) than Liverpool did (65).
A little tactical tweak, playing more passes in behind, and Liverpool were away.
“Ipswich took the risk to play one-v-one across the pitch – their centre-back always came up to Szoboszlai and left three against three in defence. We had to find the attackers with direct passes in behind.” – Arne Slot
Brentford, not renowned as being a pressing side, will be a different kettle of fish. Slot is at least aware of it.
“We have to recognise how the other team is defending and then we have to find our answer. That’s what we did really well in the second half.” – Arne Slot
DOM THE DIFFERENCE?
Salah, Jota and Luis Diaz (£7.5m) each had 11 touches in the box at Ipswich. That front trio combined for 10 shots. Alexander-Arnold, who was excellent in the second half, set up two of the best opportunities for Diaz and Jota. It was also the right-back’s superb through-ball that led, via Salah, to Jota’s opener.
Getting the front three into dangerous positions, with Alexander-Arnold creating chances, is nothing new for Liverpool.
But, under Klopp, we didn’t often see a fourth musketeer joining them from midfield. We’ve witnessed in pre-season that Slot likes to play with a virtual ’10’, who this time was Dominik Szoboszlai (£6.5m). He frequently popped up behind or alongside Jota, having three efforts of his own and providing the assist for Salah’s strike.
At just 2.1% owned, he’ll be an interesting name to monitor over the coming weeks.
JOHNSON BENCHED – BUT IS THERE HOPE?
Ipswich Town boss Kieran McKenna sprung a few surprises with his teamsheet, making five alterations from the final pre-season friendly against Nice.
One of them saw Ben Johnson (£4.0m), who sits in 3.8% of FPL squads, benched.
But his effective replacement, Wes Burns (£5.0m), was substituted off after 55 minutes with a hamstring injury.
The Tractor Boys don’t yet know the extent of it but it’s worth keeping an eye on McKenna’s pre-match press conference later in the week. It could be (and it’s not a given as there are other options down the right) that Johnson is handed a swift recall.
“Wes has a hamstring, so we don’t know the severity of it yet but I’m sure he will get assessed in the next few days. That’s a disappointing one, so we’ll have to assess that.” – Kieran McKenna on Wes Burns
The calf injury that forced Ari Muric (£4.5m) to miss this game doesn’t sound too serious, meanwhile.
“He got a knock in his calf in the early part of the week. We were hoping that he would be OK up until he had a fitness test this morning, but he wasn’t able to make it.” – Kieran McKenna on Ari Muric
Ipswich will take encouragement for the weeks ahead, especially from Gameweek 3 onwards when they’re facing clubs more at their level.
Leif Davis (£4.5m) was as advanced as we’ve come to expect, registering more final-third touches (18) than any of his teammates.
Omari Hutchinson (£5.5m) looked dangerous, registering three shots, while colossal centre-half Jacob Greaves (£4.0m) popped up with a couple of set-piece attempts. It may be he, rather than Johnson, who can play budget-freer in some FPL squads.
