Arsenal
Aston Villa
Chelsea
Crystal Palace
Everton
Fulham
Leeds United
Liverpool
Manchester City
Manchester United
Newcastle United
Nottingham Forest
Southampton
Tottenham Hotspur
West Ham United
Wolverhampton Wanderers
News
Alan Shearer says Henderson, Fabinho, Van Dijk and Matip are crucial for Liverpool, following win over Villa
BBC MOTD pundit, Alan Shearer, picked out four players as being key for Liverpool as they crept past Aston Villa yesterday thanks to a Mo Salah penalty.
Salah himself had won the spot-kick after being taken down by Tyrone Mings. The Egyptian then duly dispatched the penalty, ensuring Liverpool kept in touch at the top. Beyond that, it was a more dogged and energetic display from the Reds without really having the final product.
Part of that dogged determination comes from some of the experienced players in red. And speaking on Match of the Day , Premier League legend Shearer picked out four Liverpool stars for praise.
“We often talk about how good they are offensively. But to get through them, you’ve got to get through the quartet of the two midfielders, and the two centre-halves. It’s very very difficult,” Shearer said on .
“The two in midfield in Fabinho and Henderson give so much protection. Van Dijk and Matip never lost a single header in the whole game. And Villa never even had an attempt on target. It’s down to those in the middle. That protection is just superb, it’s almost impossible (for other sides).”
Van Dijk’s return has seen Liverpool be solid at the back. But this has allowed Fabinho to go back into midfield, while Henderson and Matip are as reliable as ever. Certainly, Jurgen Klopp will be delighted with this current foursome.
TBR’s View: Liverpool Deserve Credit Defensively
As Shearer says, it’s so easy to praise the Reds in terms of attacking play but their resilience can often be overlooked in defence. They are simply superb, and Shearer is right about the quartet of players here.
Henderson continues to thrive as captain with his energy, while Fabinho is world-class. We all know how good Van Dijk is, while Matip seems to have been spurred on by the arrival of Ibrahima Konate.
Liverpool, as things stand, look like they’ll take some stopping this season.