Jurgen Klopp is currently in the process of building his front three for the next few seasons. His legendary trio ended when Sadio Mane left the club last summer while former cornerstone Roberto Firmino departs at the end of this campaign.
The threesome of Cody Gakpo, Darwin Nunez and Mohamed Salah have been making a strong case that they should be the first choice attacking trident. They each scored twice in the demolition of Manchester United, with the latter collecting a pair of assists for good measure.
Luis Diaz and Diogo Jota will obviously be looking to force their way into the starting XI once fully up to speed following their lengthy injury absences. They have a fierce battle on their hands.
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The current trio of choice demonstrated what they can do in the early stages of the Reds’ 1-0 loss to Bournemouth. While it only led to a tame shot on target, Nunez passed to Gakpo in the penalty box and the Dutchman played the ball to Salah who had the effort at goal.
It was broadly similar to a goal Liverpool scored when they beat Ajax 2-1 at Anfield in September. On that occasion the sequence went from Diaz to Jota to Salah, again from left to right across the starting front three.
Less successful the version at the Vitality Stadium might have been, but it continued a recent trend. The chance generated was Liverpool’s first of the match and was the fourth instance in the Premier League where the combination of Gakpo and Salah got the Reds off the mark shots-wise.
The former PSV man also lined up the Egyptian early in the recent goalless draw at Selhurst Park, though on that occasion Salah steered his effort wide of the goal. This came after the 30-year-old had created Liverpool’s first chance in their matches with Brighton and Chelsea in January, with Gakpo taking the shot (but failing to test the goalkeeper) both times.
For one duo to link up for the opening chance four times in nine league matches is remarkable. This is even more so when you remember that the first of them occurred in Gakpo’s debut in the competition and he has made just eight Premier League starts to date.
Their record is so extraordinary because no pairing of Liverpool players has combined for the first shot more times in their 102 league games since the start of the 2020/21 season. There are three other duos who have four such chances on their ledger and Salah is inevitably one half of all of them.
The other pairings include Jordan Henderson, Mane and Andy Robertson. Some of these have produced goals too, with the latter assisting Mane and Salah at Everton (in 2020/21) and Aston Villa (in December) respectively. When the Reds drew 2-2 with Brighton last season, their number 11 teed up their captain to score with their first chance too.
The Salah and Gakpo pairing has also produced the lowest expected goal tally of the quartet of duos with four first chances. However, the other combinations had all played together for three years by the summer of 2020, when the data period begins. The newest twosome have already matched them for volume so the quality should follow.
After all, think about what they’ve already achieved later in matches. Half of Gakpo’s four Liverpool goals have been created by Salah, and in massive matches against the Uniteds of Newcastle and Manchester. With the Reds struggling when they concede first, they need to get off the mark as early as they can. The axis of Gakpo and Salah could be just what Klopp needs to ensure this occurs more frequently.
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