"Needed the benching", "This is horrible" - Liverpool fans provide mixed reaction as star left out of XI for Arsenal clash
Liverpool fans on X have been left conflicted after Arne Slot dropped Dominik Szoboszlai from the starting XI to face Arsenal in their Premier League clash. The two sides are set to lock horns at the Emirates Stadium later today (Sunday, October 27).
Caoimhin Kelleher starts in goal for Liverpool ahead of the injured Alisson Becker. Trent Alexander-Arnold, Ibrahima Konate, Virgil van Dijk, and Andy Robertson make up the defense. The midfield consists of Ryan Gravenberch, Curtis Jones, and Alexis Mac Allister. Luis Diaz, Mohamed Salah, and Darwin Nunez start up front to complete the starting XI.
Szoboszlai has been a mainstay under Arne Slot this season, scoring one goal and providing three assists in 11 appearances across all competitions. Despite his incredible work-rate on the pitch, the Hungary skipper has come under some criticism for his lack of goal contributions.
One Liverpool fan reacted by posting:
"Szobo needed the benching"
However, another fan didn't take it so kindly:
"This is horrible. No Szobo for defensive duties"
Other fans reacted below:
"Thank you for dropping Szobo. He has tried. Let him rest," one fan commented
"True, Benching Szobo is a masterclass," another added
"Why would you drop Szobo," one fan questioned
"You lot will all see how important Szobo is for us now. Slot better pray this don’t backfire," another warned Slot
"You know they can take advantage of that" - Liverpool star Cody Gakpo previews Arsenal fixture and discusses last season's loss against the Gunners
Liverpool winger Cody Gakpo has acknowledged Arsenal's strengths across the pitch. He admitted his side will need to be at their best to secure all three points at the Emirates.
Liverpool are currently flying under Arne Slot and are second in the league standings with 21 points from eight games, four points above third-placed Arsenal. A win today would see them pass Manchester City in the table to return to the summit.
Gakpo said (via Liverpool's official website):
"Arsenal are a very good side. They showed in recent years that they are very good. They have a lot of qualities all over the pitch. We will go there and try to play our best game and we will go there for the win. It's going to be a tough game, we know that, but we have to be ready for that."
He also discussed the Reds' 3-1 loss against the Gunners last season away from home in the league:
"That was a disappointing match in the end. It was a close game – they played very well, in my opinion. You know when you play against Arsenal, with the qualities they have, if you switch off for one or two moments then you know they can take advantage of that – and that's what they did in that game."
"We have to be ready for them and we have to stay switched on ourselves the whole game, stay focused and try to play our own game on the ball. Hopefully it's going to be a good game for us."
Liverpool recently faced Arsenal during pre-season (July 31). To their credit, secured a 2-1 win against the Gunners via goals from Mohamed Salah and Fabio Carvalho.