It could be argued that Liverpool don’t need to employ a specialist defensive midfielder in their easier home games. With them guaranteed to dominate the ball and their opponents almost certain to defend deep while looking to hit the Reds on the break, would they be better served by fielding a trio of creative players in their midfield three?
It would seem Jurgen Klopp doesn’t see things entirely this way. In his press conference ahead of the match with Newcastle, the Reds’ manager reflected on his side’s 9-0 victory over Bournemouth. “If we'd have won 1-0 I would have been over the moon. 9-0 didn't feel nine times better,” he said.
Klopp also pointed out the importance of the clean sheet, his team’s first for eight league matches. “5-0 at half time, sometimes the other team sneak one in, but the boys didn't let that happen. Clean sheets are for all of us,” he added. If there was one player who ensured the Cherries were shut out, it was Fabinho. He made five tackles, over twice as many as any other Liverpool player, and three of his tally occurred when it was already 6-0 (or better).
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Fabinho would be the obvious player to be benched if Klopp were of a mindset that a more progressive passer would be advantageous against the bus parkers at Anfield. Yet the midfielder showed against Bournemouth that he can cover both attacking and defensive bases, and his relationship with one forward in particular has proved fruitful across his time with the club.
While Liverpool had few issues scoring goals in their club record Premier League win last weekend, they did not manage to play through the Cherries’ deep lying back line that often. They mostly profited from long-range goals, set pieces and a little luck instead.
What they didn’t do was play many through balls. The Reds attempted just three and only two of them were successful. In the 19th minute, Roberto Firmino scooped the ball over the defence for Mohamed Salah, but the Egyptian’s shot was kept out by probably the best save Mark Travers made in the match.
A somewhat similar pass in the second half teed up Salah once again. On this occasion he blasted the ball over the bar at the Kop end, to continue his personal misery on the day. Once again, the source of the key pass was a Brazilian, except this time it was Fabinho.
His creative relationship with Salah is remarkable. The Liverpool number three has set up a total of 57 chances in his Premier League career. If you rank them by their expected goal value (per Understat), the three best and nine of the top 10 have been played to the former Roma man. Fabinho might have played with Salah more than any other forward at the club, but it’s less than 400 minutes more than he got with Sadio Mane, for instance.
One of the three clear-cut chances Fabinho set up in his debut campaign was for Salah. It could’ve become a vital goal too, but unfortunately the latter was unable to convert the chance at Goodison Park and the Merseyside derby early in 2019 ended goalless.
Better was to come the following year in two senses: Fabinho created more clear-cut chances and more of them were for Liverpool’s right-forward. Most notable of all was the one for Salah’s goal in what would prove to be the Reds’ title-clinching win over Crystal Palace.
The 2020/21 campaign is best forgotten on almost all levels, but the unlikely duo were back on the same wavelength last season. Fabinho assisted Salah at Brentford in almost identical fashion to how they linked up against Bournemouth, with a through ball played over the top.
As effective as they can be, the pair are never going to link up too frequently. Fabinho has shown that he can be both a destroyer and a creator when the opportunity presents itself though. Opposing sides would be advised to not give him too much time on the ball in the final third.
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