Not even Jurgen Klopp foresaw his team making a start to the season quite like this. After a summer of upheaval, particularly in the makeup of midfield, it is fair to say that questions abounded around Liverpool.
Most anticipated a bedding-in period would be necessary before Klopp’s new-look team clicked, but the opposite has been true as new arrivals have found their feet quickly and the Anfield club are swiftly into their stride.
Liverpool have carried on the good form that saw them close out last term. They are unbeaten since April 1, 19 games ago, and have not dropped a point in the Premier League since the draw away to Chelsea on the opening weekend of the season. They are currently on a seven-match winning streak and six of those have been come-from-behind victories thus showcasing the teams’ character.
That Liverpool sit second in the league standings on 16 points, and have picked up wins in both the Europa League and League Cup with much-changed lineups, only underlines how effective the early days of Klopp’s transition to ‘Liverpool 2.0’ have been.
Perhaps no facet has been so instrumental to Liverpool’s early season form than the apparent seamless integration of Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai into midfield. Both have already made an impact and are averaging 88 per cent pass completion in the league.
Not only have the pair got up to speed quickly but they have also already endeared themselves to the Anfield crowd with moments of magic. Mac Allister’s perfect pass over the West Ham United defence to set up Darwin Nunez’s goal last weekend exuded high-class technique and also highlighted his vision to spot the pass in the first place.
Then, four days later, Szoboszlai scored a stunning 20-yard drive in front of The Kop in the League Cup triumph over Leicester City. That was the second fizzing strike the Hungary international has scored at Anfield, the first coming against Aston Villa, and was just rewards for the £60 million signing’s tireless displays.
Klopp admitted there was “no timescale or schedule” for the pairs’ integration but even he has been surprised by how quickly they have adapted. What’s more, in contrast to last season’s inconsistency where injuries and loss of form damaged any momentum, there are now five forwards fit and firing in a fresh attack.
Liverpool have scored three goals in six of their past seven outings; Mo Salah and Nunez have four, Diogo Jota and Luis Diaz have three, and Cody Gakpo and Szoboszlai have two. Klopp has been indebted to his forwards’ thirst for goals so far as his defence have only kept one clean sheet.
“The group is open to new things and we called it a new start but I don’t know how stable we are,” Klopp admitted. “Our starts in games have not been great, so there’s still a lot of work to do.”
Klopp said his team have had “no easy games yet” with visits to Chelsea and Newcastle United already ticked off in the early weeks of the campaign, but Saturday’s trip to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium poses the first meaningful examination of this new-look Liverpool and a “really tough test”, according to Klopp, who will have Trent Alexander-Arnold back available.
Klopp: 'A real test for both of us'
If Liverpool’s start has been somewhat of a surprise, then Spurs’ upturn since the arrival of Ange Postecoglou and departure of Harry Kane has been rather remarkable. Postecoglou has overseen four wins, two draws and just one defeat — a penalty shoot-out loss to Fulham in the League Cup — but those numbers only really tell half the story.
The former Celtic head coach has Tottenham playing in a much more front-footed and imaginative fashion; so much so that Spurs fans are starting to proclaim ‘We’ve got our Tottenham back’. Saturday will be a meeting of minds, too.
Similarly to Liverpool, Spurs have been electric in the final third. The north London club have scored two or more goals in all of their games barring the League Cup loss and it has been new club captain Heung-min Son who has led the way with five already.
However, James Maddison’s arrival has arguably been the difference-maker. The England international has scored two and registered four assists in a barnstorming start to his Spurs career. His daring runs and link-up play with Son have breathed life into a team that looked soulless last term. Both trained on Friday and should be available.
It’s been as much a change in mindset at Spurs as approach. Emerging with a point from last weekend’s tumultuous north London derby — when Spurs twice fell behind to a Cristian Romero own goal and a dubious penalty but Son levelled on both occasions — demonstrated their resilience.
Likewise, the dramatic late comeback win over Sheffield United made it clear that Postecoglou’s Spurs have a stronger mentality than previous versions. “It is fair to say the lads have shown a fair bit of resilience and we’ve had to adjust to the way the games have gone,” the Spurs manager said.
“The real emphasis for us at the moment is our own development. Can we impose our style of football against another top-class opponent that play differently to last week’s opponent and how much of ourselves can we show?
“The more we go through these tests and show ourselves it gives us the belief to keep going down this road and accelerating the growth.”
Saturday’s meeting of in-form teams and similar minds therefore poses a mouth-watering prospect. Both sides are reinventing themselves and it has been so far, so good. If either can manage to claim three points this weekend, then a very good start to the season will become a great one.
