Elliott and Bajcetic the midfield future
Small wonder Liverpool are craving consistency this season.
On Saturday at Crystal Palace, Jurgen Klopp selected a starting XI that was the Reds’ oldest for a league match since September 1953.
By contrast, among the six changes made by the Liverpool boss for the latest tussle with Wolverhampton Wanderers saw two teenagers line up in midfield.
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And the inclusion of both 18-year-old Stefan Bajcetic and 19-year-old Harvey Elliott was justified as the pair brought an energy and impetus that has been sorely lacking in the engine room for large periods this season.
Bajcetic made his mark early, snapping into tackles and covering plenty of ground playing on the left of the midfield three. Once again, he successfully negotiated a large part of the action after an early booking – the Spaniard will eradicate that from his game over time – and has a happy knack of being in the right place. His passing, too, was assured, while his ability to turn under pressure is already becoming a joyful trademark.
Elliott, meanwhile, started a match in midfield for the first time since being hooked at half-time at Brentford in the New Year, and before the break was Liverpool’s greatest goal threat while helping out defensively on the right. Lessons have been learned.
And it’s notable the teenager remains the only player to have featured in every game for Liverpool this season. Elliott, like Bajcetic, is clearly going to be part of the future together Klopp spoke of earlier this week.
Lights on for Fabinho
Few Liverpool players have encapsulated their alarming decline this season quite like Fabinho.
From as early as the Premier League opener at Fulham back in August, there was a sense something wasn’t quite right with the Brazilian.
And having the flame go out on their much-vaunted “lighthouse” was particularly poor timing given how matters then transpired generally over the next six months.
After some flickers of improvement in recent outings, an iffy cameo at Selhurst Park at the weekend was in danger of sending Fabinho backwards.
But this was much more like it from the midfielder, bristling with intent from the first whistle and seemingly buoyed by the younger legs either side of him. The sight of Fabinho pressing as high as the opposing penalty area, secure in the knowledge he was being covered, has not been seen much of late.
There was real aggression, too, if perhaps a little too much when going into a challenge with Mario Lemina which could easily have tempted the wayward officials into penalising with more than just a yellow card.
With this the fourth time in 53 days the teams have met, there was undoubtedly needle during a match which demonstrated familiarity had bred a certain contempt.
Fabinho, though, was up for the fight. Whisper it quietly, but a genuine competition for places in midfield may now be increasing levels throughout the squad.
Salah sends United warning
Mohamed Salah may not be racking up the records quite in the same manner as earlier in his Liverpool career. But when it comes to goalscoring, he remains the Egyptian King for the Reds.
A game-clinching strike here, turning in an inviting cross from Kostas Tsimikas, was reward for a hard-working performance in which his persistence ultimately drove the Wolves defence to distraction.
The goal moved him on to 20 for the season in all competitions, the sixth successive campaign in which he has reached the landmark.
And, with 127 league strikes, he now stands only one behind sixth-placed Robbie Fowler in Liverpool’s all-time list. It’s only a matter of time before he surpasses the local hero.
Of more importance to Klopp, though, is Salah finding a groove with three goals and three assists in his last seven outings.
A resurgent Manchester United, due in town on Sunday, be warned. The Egyptian is evidently back in the mood.
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