Liverpool will be back in Premier League action next week as the international break draws to a close.
After a solid league start that culminated in a 3-0 victory against Aston Villa, the Reds headed into the break with plenty of energy. Maintaining momentum in the pursuit of the Premier League championship will be of utmost importance when they take on Wolves next.
If Jürgen Klopp’s team can win at Molineux next Saturday and Manchester City doesn’t play until the afternoon, they will be back atop the Premier League standings, which looked impossible following last season’s poor showing.
Liverpool’s handling of their roster has been largely responsible for this. The Reds’ quest to return to the Champions League has been given a boost by the additions of Dominik Szoboszlai and Alexis Mac Allister, both of whom helped their national teams to 1-0 victories this past week.
‘Heavy-metal football’ is once again in tune, and there is some measure of control within the chords, thanks to the addition of two crucial gears to Klopp’s refurbished machine.
Some sparkling performances have been seen by Reds supporters during what is often a slow season. Both Cody Gakpo and Darwin Nez have performed well for their national teams, while Andy Robertson helped Scotland advance in the qualifying round for the European Championships with a 3-0 win against Cyprus. Scotland has a perfect record of 5-0 and currently leads Spain by nine points.
Now that the transfer window is closed and league play is about to resume, Liverpool can devote its full attention to future-proofing its roster, with discussions of player contracts inevitable in the lead-up to January.
New contract on the horizon for Kostas Tsimikas
According to The Athletic, Kostas Tsimikas has signed a new two-year contract. The new contract signed by the Greek star will keep him on Merseyside until 2027, locking up a valuable contributor and fan favorite.
Tsimikas has offered Klopp with a handy backup after making 20 Premier League appearances last season, although failing to displace Robertson as the main left back.
Ballon d’Or winner Mohamed Salah outshines Lionel Messi.
With his latest 2023 Ballon d’Or nomination, Mohamed Salah joined an exclusive group of only four other players who have been nominated for each of the past five Ballon d’Or trophies. Salah’s 19 goals and 12 assists in the Premier League from 38 games last season were a major factor in Liverpool’s late-season revival.
Lionel Messi of Inter Miami is the odds-on favorite to win this year’s award after he and Liverpool’s Alexis Mac Allister won the World Cup, but only Kylian Mbappé, Kevin De Bruyne, and Karim Benzema have been nominated for the award in each of the last five years.
This highlights the significance of the Egypt international whom Al-Ittihad of the Saudi Pro League was pursuing in the last days of the transfer season. Liverpool should probably consider a new deal, despite all the discussion about transfers.