Liverpool news: The comeback kings – How Klopp has got his relentless Liverpool back

18 points from losing positions  

Between 2018 and 2020 (where Liverpool were ultimately Premier League champions), Jürgen Klopp’s men picked up 197 points in two seasons. That’s 197 points from a possible 228. They had 62 wins from a potential 76 and just four losses in that run. It’s crazy the Reds only won the title once in those two campaigns. Numbers like that had never been seen before until his old rival Pep Guardiola arrived at Manchester City and set the pedestal – Guardiola’s best Premier League points total over two consecutive seasons is 198 between 2017 and 2019.

Klopp’s team were relentless in chasing down Man City and were steamrolling through rest of the Premier League. A Champions League triumph in 2019, and an FA Cup and League Cup double in the 2021/22 season helped mark the most successful era since the Premier League began for Liverpool. However, last season things weren’t quite the same – Liverpool missed out on Champions League qualification for the first time in seven years and an ageing squad were trophy-less. But this campaign there are signs that Klopp’s team might be back to their almighty fighting best. They have 37 points from 16 games – if Liverpool carried on at the same rate they would have a projected points total of between 92 and 93 points come the end of the season. The Reds welcome Manchester United to Anfield this Sunday – a fixture they won 7-0 last term.

How do Liverpool’s stats this season compare to their triumphant recent years?

This season Liverpool have already won 18 points from losing positions, the next biggest total is Brighton with 12. In their title winning season in 2019/20, they won 19 points from losing positions across the entire season, and the previous season where they accrued 97 points they won just 16 points from losing positions. Whilst this does indicate that Liverpool have been in trickier positions this campaign, and didn’t need to come from behind so often in previous years, the fact they have re-found their tenacious spirit, should inject fear into other Premier League teams – as the old cliche goes, ‘they don’t know when they’re beaten.’

On the subject of this Liverpool team’s never say die attitude, when we look at goals scored after the 90th minute this term, the Reds top the statistics in the Premier League with six stoppage time goals from just 16 matches, beating Arsenal’s five. Between the 76 matches played in the two aforementioned seasons of 2018/19 and 2019/20, Liverpool scored just five goals after the 90th minute. However, late goals and resilience have been a theme throughout Klopp’s time in charge – Harvey Elliot’s 91st minute winner against Crystal Palace was the 17th Premier League winner scored in stoppage time under the German, eclipsing the 16 goals scored by Sir Alex Ferguson and his Man United team in their infamous ‘Fergie time’. 

After that victory at Selhurst Park, Klopp said, “I told the boys that’s the first game I’ve seen somebody play as bad as we did for 76 minutes and still win. In this period of the year we have to get through, we need results. Nobody is in for the Oscar award for best football game ever, it’s about three points. We got them and we are more than happy.” And the 56-year-old German is right; at this busy stage of the season, three points become the priority and Klopp’s ability to change the game late on and grind out results could see the Reds mount a serious title challenge this season. 

Last season, many people pointed Liverpool’s failings at the hands of their ageing squad, particularly in midfield. Once the headquarters of energy and the groundworks for the flamboyant front three to strut their stuff, the legs were no longer there – 29-year-old Fabinho, 32-year-old Jordan Henderson, and 37-year-old James Milner all featured over 30 times for Liverpool in the Premier League last campaign. Liverpool lacked the dynamic midfield they once had, but this term there are now some new kids on the block. Liverpool forked out a combined €112 million to bring Brighton’s Alexis Mac Allister, and RB Leipzig’s Dominik Szoboszlai to Anfield. Hungarian Szoboszlai tops key passes and recoveries for the club in the league this season, and has won back possession more than any other player in the division this season. 

Keeping the average age down is sure to be key to Liverpool’s success, given Klopp’s team’s reliance on pressing, outrunning opponents and quick transitions. Could their starman Mohamed Salah be the next to be traded in for a younger model?

Who could potentially replace Mo Salah, if the Egyptian was to leave?

Liverpool replaced club captain Henderson and Fabinho with Mac Allister and Szoboszlai. They replaced Sadio Mané with Luis Díaz. They replaced Roberto Firmino with Darwin Nùñez. Could their main man who has scored 150 Premier League goals for the club and been Liverpool’s top scorer in the last five seasons, Salah be the next to be replaced? Although it may seem unthinkable to trade in a player who has been so successful, with Saudi Arabia clubs reportedly willing to pay north of €200 million to bring Salah to the middle East, bringing in a younger superstar to try and emulate the Egyptians success, could be a smart move from the Merseyside club.

When searching for his potential replacement, the two most valuable right wingers in the world belong to club’s Liverpool are challenging for the Premier League title in Bukayo Saka of Arsenal and Phil Foden of Manchester City, and it seems unlikely that either of those clubs would part ways with their young stars. The next on the list is Real Madrid’s Rodrygo, valued at €100m, who would also seem an unlikely target, given his status at the Bernabeu, as one of the best young players. The only other two players with a higher market value than Salah in his position are Bayern Munich’s Leroy Sané and RB Leipzig’s Xavi Simons, who could both be realistic targets for the Reds to reinvest their potential transfer fee for their Egyptian king.

Liverpool have been linked with Sane this season, who has hit new heights at the Allianz Arena this season since teaming up with Harry Kane, and although it would probably take a huge transfer fee to tempt Bayern to let go of their star winger, Sane may feel he has unfinished business in the Premier League after leaving Man City back in 2019. Simons is another possible option – aged just 20, and having proven he can deliver in a top league with RB Leipzig this season. However, he is only on loan from PSG, who would demand a high transfer fee for the young Dutchman.

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