Tip Of The Spear
We are a few hours removed from Liverpool’s comprehensive 6-3 victory over Tottenham Hotspur at the time of writing. Writing a piece relating to Liverpool’s offensive capability seemed just meant to be. Arguably the strongest aspect of any Liverpool side over the last decade, very little has changed even with the transition from Jurgen Klopp to Arne Slot. The Reds remain a dangerous offensive team, who can hurt the opposition in more ways than one.
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When talking about the most potent combination of players though, it presents a different and often varied level of response from the average Liverpool fan. That’s completely understandable, as the six players comprising Liverpool’s front line have their own respective skill sets that can prove the difference between victory and defeat. But which combination of said players would Arne Slot tip in a big match? Let’s say there’s a hypothetical Champions League final that will be played tomorrow, who would you have as your front three? The safe answer would be it is entirely dependent on our opposition. However, for discussion’s sake, let’s talk hypotheticals and sift through Slot’s attacking regiment.
Sharpening The Tip Of The Spear
When looking at the great Liverpool sides of the modern era, it’s hard to pinpoint one that didn’t have a prolific frontman leading the way. From Michael Owen to Bobby Firmino, many of the elite Liverpool teams had that presence up front. This makes it all the more surprising that the current squad, as good as they are, doesn’t have a “first choice” nine in Slot’s formation.
Diogo Jota started the season as the de facto striker in the Liverpool attack. Still, the injury bug reared its ugly head again for the Portuguese. Jota missed a decent chunk of the early season before returning to the squad only recently. Darwin Nunez, who polarizes the fanbase greatly, hasn’t done enough to change the minds of the Liverpool faithful and Arne Slot to trust him enough to lead the line.
Given all this, you’d be forgiven for thinking that Liverpool’s striker slot would be between Jota and Nunez. However, as the season wore on, Slot introduced a curveball. He began to play Luis Diaz up the middle. The move was surprisingly effective. The Reds won big games against Bayer Leverkusen, Manchester City, and Tottenham with the Colombian leading the line. It’s a happy selection dilemma for the gaffer if we ever saw one.
On Our Left
Those of you who tune in regularly to the American Scouser podcast and visit our website may recall the discussion of the left-sided attacker role, heavily debated between Luis Diaz and Cody Gakpo. Almost halfway into the Premier League campaign, the gaffer managed to get both of these players to coexist. But even more mind-bending is Slot got the duo to coexist in the same starting eleven. He did this whilst also maximizing both their skill sets. As good as Diaz has been on the left, his unpredictable movement playing upfront has confused opposing defenses quite effectively. While his finishing ability, a skill of his that some considered rather lacking, has been on display during the games the Colombian started in the middle, particularly his hat-trick against Leverkusen, and the recent brace against Spurs.
Gakpo meanwhile, is the epitome of “play him in his natural position and he’ll be class.” Gakpo’s misuse was one of the very few noteworthy mistakes our old gaffer Jurgen Klopp made throughout his Liverpool tenure. There is an argument to be made that Gakpo has been our second-best attacker this season. He’s scored in big games against Man City and Real Madrid. The Dutchman always poses a big, physical threat on the ball and during set pieces. This is the Cody Gakpo we have come to expect. In my opinion, he is Liverpool’s first choice on the left side of the attack barring a sudden drop in form.
The Verdict
Of course, it would be remiss of me not to mention Mohamed Salah. Then again, the entire nature of this piece was a discussion on who would be Liverpool’s best-attacking front three. I don’t think anyone in their right mind would argue that Salah isn’t the first name on the Liverpool team sheet right now. As far as certainties go in life, Mo Salah being great has been a certainty this season. So the question that presents itself is who will join him in the attack.
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As I’ve mentioned countless times, these are all quality players who I would trust to wear the shirt proudly and give their all. However, if there was a Champions League final to be played this upcoming weekend, I think I’d have to ride the hot hand. Gakpo on the left, Diaz up top, and Salah on the right. This is purely on the fact that the interchangeability and unpredictability of all three attackers present the best since the famous front three of Mane-Firmino-Salah back in the day. Not to mention we do have the sample size of big results that back up the selection. Feel free to crucify me in the comments section.
