How Dominik Szoboszlai has been unleashed
Analysis of Liverpool's Hungarian midfielder's season, following a sensational display in the Reds' 4-1 home victory over Ipswich Town.
Former temporary Sporting Director Jorge Schmadtke worked primarily from his home in Ibiza during his year-long stint at Anfield. Described as ‘Klopp’s assistant’, the 60-year-old German was firmly fixated to his laptop with the primary aim of rejuvenating Liverpool’s ‘over the hill’ midfield in the summer of 2023. There are certainly more stress-free ways of savouring the latter years of one’s life on the splendid Balearic island.
Schmadtke refrained from dipping into the Mediterranean or exploring the nightlife. Instead, there were release clauses to trigger to aid Liverpool’s resurgence back into the Champions League. Alexis Mac Allister had been snapped up nice and early in May — largely thanks to the work of predecessor Julian Ward — for a modest £35m fee which didn’t appear to be public knowledge at the time. The acquisition of the World Cup winning star, alone, wasn’t sufficient. Liverpool required more starpower and, crucially, legs in the engine room in order to return to the days of outrunning opponents.
It was no secret that Klopp and the analysts within the corridors of the AXA Training Centre admired Mason Mount. The Englishman was a good age, dynamic, quick and perhaps most importantly had an eye for a goal. Jurgen Klopp had famously downplayed the importance of the traditional no.10, claiming that ‘pressing’ was his attacking midfielder, yet the Reds were destined to be in the market for a goalscoring midfielder given their troubles in that department since the sale of Phillipe Coutinho. Fabio Carvalho’s signing the previous summer had indicated the desire to add more creativity into the hole behind the striker, but it was always a low-risk ‘punt’ transfer; the young Portugese midfielder struggled to adapt to the physicality of the Premier League and became an outcast in Jurgen Klopp’s squad.
Liverpool tend to thrive upon market opportunities, and one was slapping them directly in the face in the 10 department. 22-year-old Dominik Szoboszlai’s £60m release clause was due to expire on the 30th June, with Saudi-backed Newcastle United ready to pounce. Internally, the Leipzig star was viewed as a ‘greater’ target than Chelsea’s Mount due to his age, flexibility and accessibility (due to the clause). They were clearly convinced of his talent despite the steep figure which, of course, was obliged to be paid in one instalment. Jorge himself was taken back: “At Liverpool, we brought Dominik Szoboszlai for €70m from RB Leipzig and at the time I said it’s too expensive”. By February of 2024, he was a firm believer in the club’s investment, revealing: “From today’s perspective, that was a misjudgment on my part, the boy was an important player from day one.”
Two early and stunning piledrivers against Aston Villa and Leicester provided hope that the Hungarian could become the first Liverpool midfielder to register double figures in the goal charts since Phillipe Coutinho in 2017/18, with the goalscoring numbers plummeting hugely in this department since the Brazilian’s departure. It didn’t take long to notice that this wasn’t entirely Dominik’s game. Instead, he was to be perceived as the complete, physically dominant midfielder that hasn’t been present in the Anfield ranks since the legendary Steven Gerrard; Szoboszlai has proved his worth as an all-action presence with the genuine ability to dictate the game at his spectacular best.
The decision for long-serving captain Jordan Henderson to depart was seemingly an event which no one at the club had anticipated, but the Reds coped just fine in his absence. Despite his clear contributions in the pinnacle years of the Klopp era, Szoboszlai’s predecessor endured one of the toughest seasons of his spell at the club last term, on the right of the midfield three. Defensively, the ageing captain struggled to maintain the strong engine required to cover for the front-footed Trent Alexander-Arnold, and, offensively, there was a scarce amount of creativity or precision in Henderson’s attempts to create chances.
It was perhaps unsurprising to learn that Hungary went 12 matches unbeaten, the longest current streak in international football, since Szoboszlai was appointed as captain in late 2022. For a large portion of 2022/23, the Reds’ midfield was often labelled as ‘sluggish’ and ‘predictable’; two traits which certainly cannot be attributed to the in-form Hungarian. The very best of Szoboszlai, in the early days of his Anfield tenure so far, was unleashed in a comfortable home victory over Nottingham Forest, where he registered two assists and four key passes, as well as the typically reliable off-the-ball performance.
Fast-forward to January 2025, and Szoboszlai is a beyond-instrumental cog in this Liverpool side under Arne Slot - thriving in his more natural advanced role with Gravenberch and Mac Allister sitting deeper. Arne labelled the Hungarian as ‘unbelievable’ and ‘underrated’ in the wake of Saturday afternoon’s thrashing of Ipswich Town at Anfield. The sticky spell at the end of last season — which saw Harvey Elliott take his place in the side — only served as a ‘spell’, not a prolonged period. In the reverse fixture in August, his performance was also a very promising one which boded well for his future under Slot: creating the most chances out of any Liverpool player and recording the second most recoveries on the pitch. But he well and truly put Ipswich Town to the sword on Saturday.
Trent Alexander-Arnold was extremely advanced, which allowed Liverpool to essentially pin Ipswich’s defence in a 3v4 as Diaz, Salah and Hungary’s captain were all aggressive in their work from the off. Ipswich’s midfield two, Phillips and Morsy, were both occupied by Mac Allister and Gravenberch with extreme comfort so Szoboszlai was gifted with unprecedented license to ‘do his thing’. And boy did he do that.
Dominik Szoboszlai vs midfielders in Europe’s top 5 leagues per 90min:
- 99th percentile for non-pen xG (0.29) and shots (2.5)
- 97th % for penalty box touches (4.05)
- 96th % for progressive passes received (5.96), progressive carries (2.94) & shot creating actions (4.53)
As we know, and is natural given that Slot is new to the job, Liverpool's build-up play is constantly evolving, creating dynamic and unpredictable patterns from week to week. While the primary formation is the 4-3-3 with Gravenberch as the single pivot, they seamlessly shift into various setups like the familiar 3-2-5, the strategic 4-1-4, or even the uncommon 3-3-4. This fluid approach keeps opponents on their toes, but there is one constant non-negotiable in every shape. Szoboszlai is key, and acts as the ‘sacrificial lamb’ off the ball.
Trent’s versatility enables him to surge forward or slide into midfield seamlessly, Luis Diaz has the flexibility to either stay on the wing or drift into the left half-space; Diogo Jota, meanwhile, can either maintain his position up front or drop back to function as a false nine when required. This fluidity extends to the midfield trio as well: though Ryan Gravenberch usually holds his ground in the number six role, both Dom and Macca enjoy more freedom. When Macca advances, Dominik often covers back, and vice versa. Therefore, it’s evident that the Hungarian player shoulders a variety of tasks when Liverpool have possession; despite being listed as a number 10, his responsibilities on the pitch transcend those of a traditional playmaker.
This is actually reinforced when we look at the data and statistics. Szoboszlai actually ranks fairly low among Premier League midfielders for touches in the attacking third and penalty area. Instead, he’s in the top percentiles for touches in the defensive and middle thirds, averaging 32.29 touches per game in the middle third. So, why is this? Well, as Liverpool control possession, LFC’s no.8 is perpetually surveying the field. He frequently drops closer to the initial build-up line, even when Mac Allister is positioned deep. His goal is to find open spaces and become a dependable passing option. Diversely, he can be seen moving into the pivot, spreading out wide as a left or right midfielder, and making forward runs to penetrate the opposition’s lines. Generally, Szobo’s heat maps locate him across all zones on the pitch despite being less active on the left hand side.
It must be noted also that Szoboszlai's consistent availability as a passing option is a testament to his adaptability and drive. He excels at maintaining possession by distributing the ball, disrupting opposition positioning, also making rapid forward drives through the heart of midfields. This season, his standout performance can be attributed to these qualities: ranking second among Premier League midfielders for accelerations and 13th for progressive runs, Szoboszlai's blend of running power and athleticism makes him an exceptional asset for Slot’s side as they continue to break down blocks of all sorts.
Andoni Iraola’s ultra-aggressive Bournemouth are the challengers who lie in reckoning next for Liverpool. The Spaniard certainly learned a thing or two from his successful time spent under Bielsa at Bilbao in the early 2010s; the Reds must be braced for an almighty and potentially crazy battle at the Vitality on Saturday. The aforementioned physical traits of the Hungarian will be paramount, I’m sure. However, a fourth Premier League goal of the season or a third PL assist of the season would certainly go a long way towards silencing the output-obsessed critics who question his attacking numbers.