Liverpool ease past Huddersfield: 3 things we learned
Liverpool beat Huddersfield 3-0 at Anfield on Saturday, Oct. 28. Here are three things we learned.
Liverpool beat Huddersfield 3-0 on Saturday, dominating the second half after an uneventful first 45 minutes. The win marked a return to form for the side following their 4-1 defeat at Tottenham last weekend. Here are three things we learned.
Klopp shows faith
There were widespread calls for Jurgen Klopp to make major changes to his starting XI following his side’s humiliation against Tottenham last weekend. Simon Mignolet and Dejan Lovren received the brunt of the criticism, but some felt the likes of Jordan Henderson, James Milner and Alberto Moreno should also be dropped in response to their poor performances.
As it was, Klopp’s starting XI was mostly unchanged. Mignolet and Lovren were both named in the starting lineup (though Lovren was withdrawn after picking up an injury in the warm up), and Henderson and Milner stayed in midfield. The only other changes to the lineup saw Daniel Sturridge come in for an injured Philippe Coutinho and Georginio Wijnaldum return from injury to start ahead of Emre Can.
The decision was a surprise to many, especially with reports indicating Joe Gomez would shift to center-back to replace Lovren, but makes sense given Klopp’s track record. He’s always been quick to defend his players, regardless of how poorly they’re playing, and clearly decided last week’s starters deserved an opportunity to redeem themselves
Was it the right decision? Liverpool won, and played pretty well after a poor first half, but there will be tougher tests for a defense that remains short on confidence and full of mistakes. The Reds clearly grew in confidence as the game wore on, but it’s too soon to tell whether the players have learned the necessary lessons from the Spurs defeat.
There will be better days for Huddersfield
As memorable as last weekend’s shock win against Manchester United was, it would be unreasonable to expect Huddersfield to take points off that caliber of opponent on a weekly basis. And after a solid first half at Anfield, the Terriers were exposed in the second.
The key for David Wagner’s side will be to forget this performance quickly. They were thrashed at home to Tottenham at the end of September and followed that result up with a disappointing loss to Swansea. If Huddersfield are to stay up it will be thanks to their performances against their rivals in the bottom half of the table.
Given how fragile Liverpool were coming into this match, it would have been interesting to see the Terriers play the high-pressing style which helped them earn promotion last season. But it seems Wagner has decided Huddersfield will focus more on not losing than winning against the best sides. Fair enough, but if that’s going to be the approach, they’ll need to show more quality in possession.
Next up for the Terriers are matches against West Brom and Bournemouth, in which we’ll get a better sense of how well-equipped they are for the relegation battle.
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Liverpool must build on encouraging win
The tension at Anfield was palpable during a first half in which Liverpool looked short on confidence and struggled to break down a well-drilled defense. When referee Kevin Friend pointed to the spot toward the end of the half, there was an overwhelming sense of relief, a sign of how much the home side had struggled to create chances.
The second half was a big improvement, and while Daniel Sturridge’s opener was somewhat fortunate, the Reds improved significantly afterward. That indicates how brittle their confidence is right now, but was also a welcome reminder of how good this team can be when everything is clicking.
Liverpool have a very winnable run of games coming up. They play West Ham, Southampton, Chelsea, Stoke and Brighton. Their pre-Tottenham form was hampered by an inability to convert dominance into wins, so Klopp will have been pleased to see his team run up the score. But if they’re going to finish in the top four again, they must put together a run of wins.