“That’s a little bit of a concern” – Danny Murphy highlights ‘worrying sign’ with Thiago Alcantara during Liverpool’s defeat at Arsenal
Former Liverpool midfielder Danny Murphy has shared reservations about midfielder Thiago Alcantara's work rate after the Reds' defeat against Arsenal on Sunday (October 9.
Jurgen Klopp's side were beaten by the Gunners 3-2 in their Premier League clash at the Emirates in what was their second defeat in the league this season.
Arsenal opened the scoring via Gabriel Martinelli following a blistering counter-attack before Liverpool equalized thanks to Darwin Nunez.
However, the Gunners took the lead back just before half-time after another counter-attack. Thiago was left behind as Arsenal broke forward in numbers and scored through Bukayo Saka.
What a moment. What a player.
@BukayoSaka87 🔴⚪️ https://t.co/zMxzk1teH1
Roberto Firmino then equalized for the Reds in the second half before Saka scored the winning goal for the hosts from the penalty spot.
Murphy wasn't impressed with Thiago's efforts to get back into position during Arsenal's second goal. He said (via HITC):
“One other worrying sign; you watch [Martin] Odegaard spring forward. Thiago sees him. His reaction to try and get back is a little bit worrying for me. We know he’s a wonderful technician. But really, you should be busting a gut to try and get back in."
He added:
"You shouldn’t have your striker, Nunez, overtaking you to try and get in the box and clear the cross. That’s a little bit of a concern. Especially when you play with two. Nunez, who’s a striker, sprinted past his midfield player.”
Thiago joined Liverpool from Bayern Munich for around £25 million in 2020. Known for his technical ability, the Spaniard has played 76 matches so far for the Merseysiders, contributing three goals and five assists.
Jurgen Klopp on Mohamed Salah's substitution in Liverpool's defeat against Arsenal
Salah has had a rather subdued start to the campaign. While the Egyptian has registered four goals and five assists in 12 matches across all competitions, his sharpness has come under criticism.
Mohamed Salah has scored just twice in the Premier League this season 😬
Salah was quite ineffective against Arsenal and was subbed off by Klopp in the 69th minute to be replaced by Fabinho. Speaking on the decision, the German manager said (via Liverpoolfc.com):
"We had to defend again on a high level and we tried to put Hendo on that side there. Mo did unbelievable, a lot, really big, big workload. He put in a real shift and sometimes that's very intense and that's why we thought we can do it with Hendo. We still wanted to win even when we took a striker off."
Liverpool have won just two Premier League games this season and are 11th in the table. They will next take on Rangers away in the UEFA Champions League on October 12 before hosting Manchester City in the Premier League on October 16.