Liverpool’s January always promised to revolve around African attackers. Just not Daniel Udoh, perhaps. And yet, should they keep a fourth consecutive clean sheet against Crystal Palace on Sunday, Shrewsbury’s Nigerian target man will retain his distinction as the only player to score against them while Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mané were at the Africa Cup of Nations.
Liverpool could get through what threatened to be the most problematic period of their season unscathed. While Diogo Jota’s double against Arsenal booked their place in the Carabao Cup final and suggested the Portuguese had found a way of compensating for his fellow forwards’ absence, Jürgen Klopp argues that Salah and Mané have been replaced in part by stoppers, not scorers.
