Trent Alexander-Arnold's departure to Real Madrid has left a void at right-back, forcing Liverpool to find a way to fill it with contracts with Jeremie Frimpong (Bayer Leverkusen) and young talent Conor Bradley.
However, with Frimpong injured and Bradley not at his best, coach Arne Slot had to come up with a surprising solution.
He experimented with Endo for about half an hour in the 4-2 win over Bournemouth, but in the dramatic 3-2 win over Newcastle, the chosen name was Dominik Szoboszlai.
"Although not possessing the depth of Frimpong, good possession of the ball helps Szoboszlai give Liverpool an additional attacking weapon. In addition, Szoboszlai's persistent playing style and abundant energy could become an important fulcrum" - Liverpool's Paul Gorst commented.
And in reality, this choice has been effective. "mentally, playing as a full-back is not easy if you were used to playing as a midfielder throughout your career. We tested him in the pre-season against Stoke City, but at that time the team almost completely controlled the ball.
This time it's different, we have to defend a lot, in a difficult match, on a tough pitch and against a tough opponent" - Arne Slot explained his bold decision.
The Hungarian player impressed so much that the Dutch captain continued to give him a starting position in the match against Arsenal. Not only that, he also became a hero when he scored the only goal in the 83rd minute. This was a beautiful free kick from about 30m away, sealing a 1-0 victory for Liverpool.
"I have scored more beautiful goals from free kicks. Just look back at the shot against Türkiye, it's clear" - Liverpool's number 8 midfielder shared after the match.
"It's been a long time since I scored from a free kick. To be honest, I have to mention Trent Alexander-Arnold. As everyone knows, he often takes responsibility for free kicks because he has great shots. But this time I had the opportunity and took advantage of it" - Szoboszlai shared more.
Szoboszlai has dived his best not only to score from a free kick but also as a reluctant defender. He is the player with the second most successful tackles (2) and second in the number of accurate passes (47/52) and also second in the clearance index (6).
In addition, the Hungarian player also recovered the ball 5 times and made 10 passes in the opponent's half.
"I have never played as a full-back, but I am ready to play any role that the coach arranges and always try my best to help the team" - Szoboszlai added.
And once again, the Hungarian player continued to receive compliments from Arne Slot: "Once again, he played excellently. Szoboszlai always understands how a Liverpool player should perform.
When wearing this shirt, you must give your all, no matter the position. As a midfielder, he was always the first to drop back and press high. And this time I don't think he did anything wrong."
Alexander-Arnold's shadow at Anfield is gradually shortening. And surprisingly, the one who filled that void was Szoboszlai.
