Free movement makes Liverpool’s front 3 the best in Europe
By James Dudko
Free movement makes Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane the best front three in Europe.
Mohamed Salah was where you’d expect to find him when he scored the first of his four goals for Liverpool against Watford on Saturday. The prolific Egypt international wriggled into a shooting chance from the right wing to send the Reds on their way to a 5-0 Premier League victory at Anfield.
Salah was where you’d expect to find him, but his free-scoring and free-moving partners in attack were not. Fellow forwards Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane had switched positions, with Firmino dropping out of the middle and onto the left.
Mane responded by drifting centrally, taking residence in the pocket of space vacated by Liverpool’s Brazilian No. 9. It was Mane who threaded the pass onto the inside right for Salah to work his magic once more.
The goal encapsulated why Liverpool own the best front three in Europe.
It’s a bold statement when Barcelona unleash Ousmane Dembele, Luis Suarez and Lionel Messi on hapless opponents. Great rivals Real Madrid still turn to Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema and Gareth Bale when it counts.
Even Premier League leaders Manchester City can lay claim to owning the best attacking trio on the continent. Leroy Sane, Sergio Aguero and Raheem Sterling is a front three the envy of most teams, but not Liverpool.
In terms of collective brilliance and output, no team can touch the trio who have proffered 50 goals between them in England’s top flight.
More than the goals, Liverpool’s trio play with a chemistry and intuition most other attacking combinations can only dream of.
Pace, ruthless finishing and flair are common from all three of Salah, Mane and Firmino. But the freedom of movement granted by manager Jurgen Klopp truly sets this forward line apart from the rest.
Specifically, the rotation and interchanging of positions among Liverpool’s primary goal-getters is a joy to watch. Switches are based on intelligence, as well as a keen understanding of how each forward complements the other two.
A key example of the Reds’ complementary dynamic up top came during the build-up to their second goal against the Hornets.
Firmino, as is his wont, had dropped out of the middle and back to the tip of midfield. Each time this midfielder in a striker’s body makes such a move, it’s license for either Mane or Salah to fill the space in the middle.
On this occasion, Mane took the initiative while Salah stayed right. Firmino took the ball in the middle and fed James Milner.
As he did, the Brazilian ran back through the middle, beyond Mane. The latter dropped off the front and was in the No. 10 role when he received a pass from left-back Andrew Robertson.
Mane returned a terrific ball for Robertson on the overlap. The full-back crossed for Salah to tap in and cap a move owing everything to varied movement in forward areas.
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Firmino’s initial move into midfield helped draw one of Watford’s three centre-backs out of position. By the time Firmino returned to his striker’s position he occupied the remaining two central defenders, allowing Salah to run free off the wing-back and complete a brace.
Similar switching of positions took place as Liverpool made it 3-0 early in the second half.
This time, Firmino had peeled off onto the left flank. On cue, Mane moved to become the home side’s No. 9.
Salah had initially tried to tee up Mane, only for the Senegal international’s touch to let him down. Yet when the second chance came, Firmino sped off the left and beyond Mane to meet Salah’s cross with a cute finish.
Firmino was given a free run into the six-yard box because two of Watford’s back three were still occupied with Mane’s central position.
The Salah and Firmino connection has become a feature of Liverpool’s form in front of goal this season, per OptaJoe.
This prolific a link speaks to the rapport Klopp’s front three has established.
It’s a rapport best revealed by seamless switching of positions. More switching went on when Salah completed his hat-trick to put Liverpool 4-0 ahead.
Mane was on the right, while Salah had taken up residence through the middle. The former’s trickery gave Salah the chance to eventually prod home.
This goal let Salah earn another deserved piece of club history, according to Sky Sports Statto.
Salah is breaking records because of his talent, but his place in the most fluid front three in the game is just as significant.
So is the creative range every member of the Liverpool forward trio is showing. Mane’s angled through passes were a delight against the Hornets, while Salah’s crosses have proved menacing all season.
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Yet the deft touches of Firmino often provide the gloss for some of Liverpool’s most eye-catching moves. The 26-year-old has an innate instinct for when to exploit space and drag defenders into no-man’s land.
The ability of this front three to supply one another has offset the loss of Philippe Coutinho. In fact, Liverpool are playing better without the classy No. 10 who joined Barcelona in the January transfer window.
Simply put, the Reds are no longer reliant on one man to create chances. Now any one of three can play the role of provider, with defenders never knowing who it will be or from where they will create.
Liverpool’s front three does so much because each of its members is more than their respective designations on the teamsheet.
Firmino is an all-seeing playmaker who is a centre-forward in name only. Salah and Mane are less traditional wingers and more free-roaming strikers in the mold of Ronaldo or Thierry Henry in his Arsenal pomp.
Freedom is at the heart of this expressive front three’s brilliance. Their sudden and intuitive movement will be a nightmare for leaders City when the two teams renew hostilities in the Champions League quarter-final.