Jürgen Klopp faces an important decision from Thiago Alcantara as Liverpool can unleash another attack
Liverpool are Tottenham Hotspur’s next opponents in the Premier League, with Jurgen Klopp facing some selection issues
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp and midfielder Thiago Alcantara (Image: Naomi Baker/Getty Images)
Liverpool continued their mini-revival on Wednesday night with a third successive win at West Ham United.
The Reds had Cody Gakpo and Joel Matip to thank for scoring goals as they came from behind to secure a 2-1 win. Liverpool will now be looking to boost their hopes of European qualification when they host nearby rivals Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday.
And here we look forward to the changes Jurgen Klopp could make when his team comes into play.
Klopp has been reluctant to fumble excessively with his side in recent games, given the run that has seen them at least re-enter the fray for Europa League places. And the four-day gap between the trip to West Ham and the weekend game means there is room for the Liverpool boss to once again stick with the tried and trusted growing, even if the swift turnaround for the Home games against Fulham and then Brentford next week indicate a rotation is imminent.
Much will depend on the fitness of Ibrahima Konate, who didn’t risk it in the middle of the week. Joel Matip was selected ahead of Joe Gomez to partner Virgil van Dijk at centre-back. Nat Phillips and Rhys Williams are the other options.
Trent Alexander-Arnold’s new role has made him an automatic choice apparently at right-back, with Gomez and James Milner’s alternatives in the event of injury as Calvin Ramsay is out. Andy Robertson is a solid first-choice left-back ahead of Kostas Tsimikas, while Alisson Becker is number one between the posts with Caoimhin Kelleher and Adrian in reserve.
It’s perhaps surprising how much Klopp has relied on his old guard in midfield over the past two months. Fabinho has started the last 11 games in all competitions, while Jordan Henderson has started all six since the last international break.
At least one will soon have to blow, and possibly Curtis Jones, who started the last five after being sidelined for much of the campaign.
However, the options are somewhat limited. Thiago Alcantara has been off the bench in each of the last four games since recovering from a hip problem and is close to starting, while Harvey Elliott hasn’t played a minute since Manchester City’s 4-1 defeat and Milner has started in just one Premier League match since January, despite playing in all but one game.
Stefan Bajcetic is injured and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Naby Keita and Arthur Melo – who will leave in the summer – were also not in match selection on Wednesday.
Diaz decision
There is another problem in attack with Klopp who is spoiled for choice, despite Roberto Firmino still risking missing due to a muscle problem.
Mohamed Salah is a regular on the right as he approaches another 30-goal season, Diogo Jota has scored four goals in his last three games while operating on the left and Cody Gakpo, playing in centre, sent the Reds on their way to West Ham with his sixth goal since arriving in January.
Darwin Nunez has been on the bench in five of his last six Premier League games and will push both Jota and Gakpo for a starting place, but the main question for Klopp is whether Luis Díaz is ready for a first-time starter after his long return. injury term after half an hour at West Ham.
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Liverpool players love new tactic sparked by Jurgen Klopp
Having pioneered the reinvention of the full-back role at Liverpool in recent years, Alexander-Arnold is being asked to do so again.
Having long resented the notion of Trent Alexander-Arnold as a defensive liability, it’s no surprise that Jurgen Klopp responded strongly to what he perceived to be further criticism at the London Stadium on Wednesday.
After a hard-fought 2-1 away win at West Ham built on character reserves after Lucas Paqueta’s opener went early, Klopp was asked about Alexander’s new role- Arnold in this Liverpool team. one that essentially requires him to play in two positions: both as a hardened defensive full-back and as a marauding central midfielder.
It was a tactical adjustment that saw him provide five assists in four games, which is the most by any Liverpool player in a single month of Premier League football. Considering the insatiable search for teammates that Alexander-Arnold and compatriot Andy Robertson have pursued over the past five years, that’s quite an achievement.
The question for Klopp was whether there could be an acceptance that as a new hybrid central midfielder, when in possession there will inevitably be times when the No.66 fails to fulfill his role. from the usual right-back, as first-half luck for the Hammers as Virgil van Dijk was forced to put an important toe on a ball at the far post to deny a tap-in to Michail Antonio at 1-1. While the question wasn’t necessarily loaded or asked with the intention of talking about Alexander-Arnold’s defensive flaws or shortcomings, Klopp was still in no mood to mirror the negativity of the headlines of a impressive victory in London.
“If you play completely ball oriented. [West Ham’s luck] has nothing to do with Trent’s position,” Klopp said. “We had three other players on the other side who were up to the challenge. So we just didn’t win. the ball. It has nothing to do with Trent.
“He was good. Let me put it this way, he was really good. I don’t know exactly where Trent was [for West Ham’s chance] but the problem was we could have won the ball there but We did not do it .