Liverpool are desperately missing Jordan Henderson’s presence in midfield

Liverpool suffered certainly among the shocks of the season as they were overwhelmed 1-0 by Brighton at Anfield on Wednesday evening.

Having long gone nearly three years and not utilizing a residence loss in the Premier League, it used to be their 2d defeat at Anfield in the residence of 13 days having lost 1-0 to Burnley decrease than a fortnight ago.

The Reds additionally failed to ranking at residence for the third residence league sport in a row. It used to be a disappointing truth verify after the scintillating efficiency against West Ham three days earlier, the assign we were assured that Liverpool were most no doubt back to their ideal this time.

Their failure to ranking used to be over all all over again down to their failure to interrupt down a ‘lesser’ personnel who get hold of males in the back of the ball and deploy a low block. Liverpool had correct one shot on aim, and this failed to come till the 70th minute.

Having swept apart Crystal Palace in December, this failure to interrupt down groups has become a exact anxiety; Newcastle, West Brom, Burnley, Southampton, Manchester United and now Brighton acquire all taken functions off them. For a personnel who had been ravaged by injuries defensively this season, it be not no doubt at the back the assign they’re struggling.

Within the extended absence of Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez, the not going pairing of Nat Phillips and Jordan Henderson were presumably the Reds’ ideal performers on Wednesday evening.

Or not it’s sad that Henderson has taken so competently to being a central defender, on tale of what he affords defensively is this form of wide loss to Liverpool in midfield. The Reds’ defensive damage crisis has circuitously had a adversarial impact on their ability to attack.

Henderson’s presence in midfield is a exact depart out. For the length of Liverpool’s 7-0 victory over Crystal Palace, he used to be horny, not correct in the manner he sprayed passes, drove Liverpool forward and bought on the scoresheet himself, however in his willingness to drop into the total-back put to give Andy Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold the freedom to plug forward.

Liverpool appeared most unhealthy against Brighton when Henderson used to be ready to get hold of his side in in the back of posthaste with an instinctive lengthy hobble sooner than the Seagulls were ready to organise themselves defensively.

The Liverpool skipper picked out Mohamed Salah in the gap exchanges of the important thing half, the Liverpool forward getting in in the back of the otherwise imperious Dan Burn for referring to the acceptable time all evening. He sent Robertson away in the 2d half with a similarly pinpoint, probing hobble.

For all Henderson affords Liverpool defensively as quilt at centre half, the Reds in point of truth depart out him as the riding power in their midfield. Liverpool fans will be hoping their current centre half recruits can free Jordan Henderson.