Fabinho and Jordan Henderson also joined the list of Klopp-era veterans that would no longer play a part after making switches to the Saudi Pro League, but the Reds, now just two points off the top of the table behind leaders Arsenal, look as though they have aced their work in the transfer market.
And there was a sequence of four passes against Manchester City on Saturday that showed the latest glimpse of Liverpool’s ongoing evolution. The Etihad Stadium hasn’t been the easiest of grounds to visit for Liverpool in recent years, having suffered a 4-1 defeat there in April, but there were more positive signs this time around. The Reds, although having made a number of mistakes across the 90 minutes, still enjoyed plenty of spells that carried a scoring threat. It was in the 80th minute when one was finally converted. A strong save from Alisson saw Liverpool begin their counter-attack in controlled fashion, as Alexis Mac Allister played the first pass out to Ryan Gravenberch. It was then that the former Bayern Munich star showed exactly why Klopp had brought him to Anfield in the summer.
Gravenberch’s run began from Liverpool’s penalty area, and he looked at ease as he carried the ball up the field, carefully assessing his options before making his decisions. A plethora of superlatives have been used for City’s best defensive midfielder in Rodri of late, but Gravenberch was unphased as he drifted past him and into opposition territory. He then found Luis Díaz — another one of Klopp’s second-half substitutes.
Many were quick to point out the noticeable strength in depth Liverpool had on its bench on Saturday afternoon, and that would eventually make the difference. Díaz, who normally looks to beat his marker down the line, instead opted to cut inside and switch the play to Mohamed Salah before the Egyptian played the fourth and final pass of the sequence for Trent Alexander-Arnold’s strike. Whereas the previous Liverpool would have been much more direct with the counter-attack, there were more elements of control in this one. Gravenberch chose against forcing a direct pass into Liverpool’s forwards and trusted his ability to win his battle against a player considered among the best defensive midfielders in the world.
Díaz and Salah also showed a similar level of control in their decision-making, providing a new glimpse into how Liverpool ‘2.0’ could look once Klopp completes his project. While notes of heavy metal will remain within the core of Liverpool’s play, the Reds’ recent display suggests a change in tempo that will allow Klopp’s band to find the right key more often.
An adjustment in rhythm that should see a more efficient Liverpool going forward, and one that the likes of Gravenberch and Alexander-Arnold will thrive most in. It’s still coming together, but Liverpool 2.0 is set to be exciting.
The evolution of Liverpool’s squad over the summer was imperative for the club to return to dominance across all competitions. Jürgen Klopp spoke of the importance of reinforcing his side to create Liverpool ‘2.0’ — a side that would be without two club legends in Sadio Mané and Roberto Firmino.
