Fabinho is Liverpool’s key to winning EPL title

Fabinho will be the key to Liverpool winning this season’s Premier League title.

Liverpool winning the Premier League title this season won’t be determined by the goals of Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane. It won’t be determined by Roberto Firmino’s flair, nor by Virgil van Dijk dominating in defense.

Instead, the Reds will only pip Manchester City to the big prize if Fabinho continues to play so well. The Brazilian has gone from being a potential flop signing to becoming the best holding player in England’s top flight.

Fabinho’s is Liverpool’s most important player not just because of the way he anchors midfield. Sure, the former Real Madrid and Monaco man gives Georginio Wijnaldum and Jordan Henderson the freedom to raid forward and press high ip the pitch, which is the essence of the Reds’ approach on Jurgen Klopp’s watch.

It’s also true Fabinho brilliantly shields a back four led by Virgil van Dijk. The extra layer of protection he provides makes an already stout defence close to impregnable.

Yet for all the work Fabinho does to secure Liverpool off the ball, his most valuable contributions come when he’s on it. Fabinho is equal parts destroyer and astute, deep-lying playmaker.

By bringing superior technical quality to his position, the South American has made Liverpool better going forward. He’s also compensated for the lack of a naturally creative midfield maestro in advanced areas.

Fabinho’s value as Klopp’s conductor-in-chief on the pitch showed itself in telling moments during Sunday’s 2-1 win over Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.

While most defensive midfielders are content to play it safe once they win the ball, Fabinho is rarely shy about getting forward. He seized the moment to stride through the Chelsea midfield in the 13th minute, leaving Jorginho and Mateo Kovacic trailing thanks to a deft touch and terrific turn of pace.

An incisive pass into Sadio Mane forced the Blues’ defence into a foul. The infraction incurred the ultimate punishment courtesy of Trent Alexander-Arnold’s outstanding free kick:

Fabinho had got the move started then shifted it into high gear with his close control and eye for a through pass. Those are two things most midfield destroyers aren’t able to impose on a big game.

Most of the time midfielders who operate deep are put there because they can’t add anything to a team’s attacking game. Fabinho is different, though, because he’s always looking to keep Liverpool moving forward.

The build-up to the Reds’ second goal at the Bridge was a perfect example. Salah passed backwards after drawing a crowd, but rather than slowing the game down, Fabinho played a first-time ball forward to Wijnaldum.

Another Chelsea foul yielded another free kick. This one was swung in by Andy Robertson and met emphatically by Firmino:

https://twitter.com/NBCSportsSoccer/status/1175802499644698624

Again, Fabinho hadn’t finished the move, but he had proved its catalyst. His appetite for keeping the ball and his team moving forward let Liverpool play quickly between the lines in a hostile environment.

The pattern continued after the restart, with Fabinho still easing the ball into dangerous positions behind the Chelsea back four.

A slick one-two with Alexander-Arnold saw Fabinho release the right-back with an inch-perfect pass. Alexander-Arnold’s cross took two deflections and prompted a miracle save from Chelsea goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga.

Once again, the chance was only made possible by Fabinho’s ability on the ball. He’s not just Liverpool’s chief ball-winner, he’s also the undisputed pass-master in the squad.

The importance of the latter can’t be overstated when Klopp stays faithful to the idea pressing can make more impact than creativity: “No playmaker in the world can be as good as a good counter-pressing situation.”

Fabinho’s guile makes the Reds less predictable against tougher opposition, but it wasn’t always this way.

Teams such as Manchester United under Jose Mourinho had great success negating the press with a low defensive block. The approach succeeded because it challenged Liverpool’s deepest midfielder to beat teams with his passing.

Mourinho’s blueprint worked wonders when Henderson was operating deep. The England international didn’t have the vision or technique to unlock defenses from a withdrawn position.

After a few stale draws and the odd defeat, Liverpool finally wrecked the Mourinho masterplan with Fabinho as the quarterback from deep.

His performance in the 3-1 win over United at Anfield last December proved to be the end of Mourinho. It also began Fabinho’s journey to becoming the enforcer and schemer hybrid who is the most important player in Liverpool’s bid to win a first top-flight title since 1990.