Liverpool secret weapon ready to be unleashed as goal celebration spoke volumes

Liverpool secret weapon ready to be unleashed as goal celebration spoke volumes

Dominik Szoboszlai has delivered on one of Arne Slot's demands but must keep it up if Liverpool are to realise their ambitions

Hungary's players celebrate after Dominik Szoboszlai's scores his second goal of the game against Bosnia and Herzegovina (Image: ELVIS BARUKCIC/AFP via Getty Images )

After dispatching the penalty that made sure of Hungary's UEFA Nations League victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina, Dominik Szoboszlai raised a finger to his lips. The gesture was directed towards the home fans inside Zenica's Bilino Polje Stadium, though the Liverpool midfielder's display on Monday night may just have silenced some of his critics back on Merseyside too.

In many ways, Szoboszlai has been a victim of his own success during his time at Anfield, having initially been touted as the long-awaited heir to Steven Gerrard's iconic No.8 shirt following his £60m switch from RB Leipzig.

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His scintillating form in the early weeks of last season has often been used as a barometer against which all of his subsequent displays have been measured. That he was unable to meet those lofty expectations on a consistent basis last term left him vulnerable to criticism from some quarters of the fanbase, particularly as Liverpool's pursuit of an unprecedented quadruple quickly began to disintegrate in the spring.

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Some of that criticism, it must be noted, has been warranted. A cocktail of injuries and poor form saw the Hungarian's influence on Liverpool's engine room wane significantly in the second half of the campaign and he started just one of the Reds' last seven Premier League games under Jurgen Klopp; a 2-0 defeat to Everton.

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Still, he was far from the only Liverpool player guilty of underperforming in the final months of Klopp's reign and, at just 23, it was perhaps inevitable that he would encounter some teething problems during his maiden campaign in English football. Fast-forward to now, though, and Szoboszlai has made himself indispensable to Arne Slot, even if his performances lack the same ebullience that saw him crowned Liverpool's Player of the Month in his first month at Anfield.

The midfielder has started all but two of the Reds' 10 games under Slot this season, having largely been deployed in the No.10 role in front of a double pivot of Alexis Mac Allister and Ryan Gravenberch. His relentless work-rate has been integral to Liverpool's early success under their new head coach, although even Slot has urged the Hungarian to be more prolific in front of goal.

"He has been important for us and his pressing has been outstanding,” Slot said ahead of September's Champions League clash with AC Milan. “Something we have to work on is making him even more involved in scoring goals.

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“He scored three last season but for an attacking midfielder at Liverpool, his numbers need to go up. I am confident with the quality he has and the players around him he will score more goals as well."

It was a typically candid appraisal from the Dutchman, who was granted an instant response to his demand at the San Siro, where Szoboszlai netted Liverpool's third goal in a 3-1 win. However, a glaring miss against Wolverhampton Wanderers just a few short weeks later led to a revival of the external scrutiny surrounding the midfielder.

With that in mind, it will surely have been heartening for Slot and his coaching staff to see Szoboszlai net a brace for his national team in the Nations League on Monday night, with the Liverpool man scoring either side of half-time to secure Hungary's first victory in this year's competition.

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The 23-year-old’s first of the night came as when he stroked the ball past Nikola Vasilj from a tight angle despite coming under pressure from the Bosnian defender. Then, just five minutes after the restart, Szoboszlai added some gloss to his team's victory by coolly slotting home the spot-kick after teammate Zsolt Nagy was felled in the penalty area.

The midfielder's well-taken double was just reward for a typically all-action display in the Balkans, with Szoboszlai also making the most midfield recoveries of any player on the pitch (seven), while also completing the most dribbles for Hungary (four). W

ith this weekend's Premier League clash with Chelsea set to be the first in a testing run of fixtures for Liverpool, there is perhaps no better time for their No.8 to be hitting his stride.

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A foot injury to fellow Reds' midfielder Harvey Elliott during the last international window has forced Szoboszlai to shoulder more responsibility in recent weeks and recent images of the former Fulham starlet working his way back to fitness at the AXA Training Centre inspire hope that the Hungary captain will soon have someone to help lighten the load.

Until then, Slot will hope Monday's brace against Bosnia is the start of a hot-streak in front of goal for Szoboszlai. Certainly, if he is able to harness his international form on the domestic stage, Liverpool stand a chance of emerging from their fearsome upcoming run of fixtures in rude health.

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