Liverpool 3–0 Leeds United

It really seems as though the Liverpool Renaissance is here. Their frailties of the previous season have been tended to, and the Reds look stronger than ever, showing it here today. Virgil Van Dijk coming back into the squad at the same time as their improved form —hear me out— IS. NO. COINCIDENCE. People seem to have forgotten his role in Liverpool's successful 18/19 and 19/20 campaigns, but he’s back to strut his stuff. With the addition of Ibrahim Konate, their defense—which was a weak point last season—seems to be one of the strongest in the league now. And you know what they say,  “Attack wins you games, defense wins you titles.” A quote from THE Sir Alex Ferguson. 

People will look to the scoreline and say it was the forwards who won the game, but I would argue the midfield should take the accolade. In midfield, you couldn’t have asked for a more complete performance. The addition of Harvey Elliot into the starting lineup gave you a little bit of everything, much like a cheese platter– Elliot the forward drive, Fabinho the protector, and Thiago controlling the tempo. 

Tonight, Liverpool was as tough to control as your aunt in a pottery shop. Even against the tactical genius that is Marcelo Bielsa, Liverpool dominated in the possession, and the goals. When Liverpool had possession, they used it with PURPOSE. Leeds would pressure the Reds’ backline when they were playing out, but Leeds would leave gaps In midfield in the process, which Liverpool would exploit. As a comparison, when Liverpool did the same, they pushed up in unison, leaving little space in behind. For this to work, the communication and organization had to be fluid, and because this was the midfielder’s job to communicate with the whole team, showing their importance to the team.

Liverpool’s first goal came in the 20th minute, when Joel Matip played a one-two with Mo Salah, before laying the ball to Trent Alexander-Arnold, who fizzed the ball into the box. Salah wasn’t picked up by a defender, allowing him to poke home his 100th Premier League goal, the 5th fastest to reach the milestone in history. This felt a lot like the prime Liverpool, there was such confidence in the way they slotted the ball around before scoring. Their second goal came from a corner, when Van Dijk’s header fell to Fabinho. The Brazilian missed his first kick, but he got a second bite of the cherry, this time smashing the ball into the net. In extra time, Jordan Henderson’s cross was controlled by Thiago, who laid the ball for Sadio Mane, who finished low and into the corner.

While he got his goal, it wasn’t his best game by any means. The Senegal international had loads of chances to score, and by his standards (very high standards to be exact) he should have taken home the match ball with a hat-trick. His biggest miss of the match was in the 25th minute, when Diogo Jota fizzed a ball into the 6-yard box and in front of an empty net, but Mané somehow skied the ball over the bar. Yes, the ball was just behind his shooting leg, but prime Mané would have adjusted himself to score the goal. If this is the rebirth of the Liverpool of two years ago, these kinds of chances will have to be tucked away instead of squandered. 

Having known that Liverpool needed all 3 points, anyone could have seen this outcome a mile away. However, it's the manner in which Leeds gave up the game which was most disappointing. This was definitely their strongest lineup, and the addition of Daniel James on paper would have given them lots of attacking intent, something I think they lacked last season. When James DID come on, wait- did he come on? …He did? What's for sure is he didn’t do anything impactful. Must’ve been why I couldn’t see him.

The biggest issue Leeds had today was their erratic style of play. For long spells, it would be lateral passing, all leading up to a cross which would be easily cleared away. Other times, The Peacocks would push high up fast, leaving large spaces behind for Liverpool to counter. In fact, Liverpool almost scored in that fashion, but Mane’s shot was blocked by Firpo. In that same play, Mane had all of the space he needed to run, as Kalvain Phillips and Pascal Struijk were high up the field. It's one thing to implement high pressing to your team, but it's another thing to do it when your squad isn’t suited to it. We saw it time and time again where their midfield was left exposed on the counter. 

Leeds did have a handful of chances, but they were all in the first half. Their biggest chance to score was in the 4th minute, when Raphina passed the ball to Rodrigo, following a counter attack. The Liverpool defense hadn’t had time to position themselves, so the Brazilian found himself with acres of space. However, Alison positioned himself well, able to parry the shot away. Luke Ayling had another great chance to score when he was unmarked during a cross, but he somehow fired his shot over the bar. If Leeds had taken those chances, especially with the home crowd support, they could have taken something from this game. 

I do feel that Leeds are heading in the right direction, making sensible signings, and keeping their quality coach in Bielsa. However, if they want to exponentially improve, the team needs to work together more. At the moment, I feel they don’t communicate enough, or help each other out enough. However, like I said, the pieces to the puzzle are all there. People are saying that Leeds could “pull a Sheffield United '' where their initial season brought success but the new one brings disaster. However, I disagree. This Leeds team is built to last in the Premier League. Sure, they won't bring the success that the 1961-1974 team did, but they’re definitely capable of making it to Europe. Look out. 

Liverpool take all 3 points from Leeds! The Reds were dominant and thoroughly deserved the victory. Leeds will feel they were too respectful of Liverpool, never really threatening their goal besides the two mentioned chances. Now, they must turn their attention to West Ham. The best teams don’t wallow in despair; they pick themselves up and focus on the next match. If Leeds can do that, the sky’s the limit.