Liverpool sealed their second
Premier League title on Sunday after taking an unassailable
15-point lead with four games to spare. The following are the
players who were key to their title charge in Arne Slot's debut
season:
* MOHAMED SALAH
As another season comes to a close, Mohamed Salah is on the
verge of joining Premier League great Thierry Henry as the only
player to win four Golden Boot awards for most goals scored in a
campaign, with the Egyptian currently on 28 strikes.
The 32-year-old has been so far ahead of the competition
that he could still get his hands on the trophy without scoring
again.
In a stellar campaign, where his contract negotiations often
stole the headlines, Salah justified his two-year extension by
putting up exceptional numbers.
He has been directly involved in 46 Premier League goals
this term (which includes 18 assists) - a record for a player in
a 38-game season - and he could even breach the 50-mark before
the campaign wraps up.
Individual numbers aside, Salah is also revelling in making
the players around him much better in a season of reinvention
under Slot.
* DOMINIK SZOBOSZLAI
Liverpool had to rebuild their entire midfield after their
last title-winning season and Dominik Szoboszlai has become the
team's new engine in the middle of the park driving them on with
his immense work rate.
With the energy to cover a lot of ground off the ball,
Szoboszlai routinely runs over 11 kilometres a game and is the
key man in Liverpool's midfield press to win the ball back or
force turnovers.
Slot also challenged Szoboszlai to improve his output in the
final third and the Hungary captain responded, most notably
assisting Salah and scoring another in a 2-0 win at Manchester
City that gave them a psychological edge in the title race.
"Last year I was playing as an eight and more as a defensive
part of the game than offensively. This time I am a little bit
more offensive than defensive, and I'm still doing the work for
the defence part," Szoboszlai said.
"He (Slot) changed my game a lot and I improved a lot under
him."
* RYAN GRAVENBERCH
For a player who struggled to break into the starting lineup
last season under Juergen Klopp, Ryan Gravenberch is now one of
the first names on the team sheet under Slot.
The Dutch manager has utilised the 22-year-old's versatility
to shield his back line and play in his midfield double-pivot
while his ability to quickly initiate attacks with his trademark
turn has not gone unnoticed.
Gravenberch has a superb knack for reading opponents'
intentions and cutting out passing lanes, putting him among the
leading players in the league for interceptions, while he is
also adept at winning back possession.
No wonder then that he has been one of three Liverpool
players to start every game this season.
* VIRGIL VAN DIJK
Liverpool skipper Virgil van Dijk is the one outfield player
to have played every minute in 34 Premier League games, an
ever-present colossus in the defence despite his own issues with
contract negotiations with the club.
Van Dijk will be 34 in the close season but the Dutchman has
shown no signs of slowing down, producing consistently superb
performances even though his Liverpool future was in doubt,
convincing the club to give him two more years.
No player has completed more passes while he is one of five
players to make at least 50 interceptions this season.
But more than just the numbers, he has marshalled the
back-line as Liverpool sealed the title with the second-best
defensive record in the league.
Liverpool sealed their second
Premier League title on Sunday after taking an unassailable
15-point lead with four games to spare. The following are the
players who were key to their title charge in Arne Slot's debut
season:
* MOHAMED SALAH
As another season comes to a close, Mohamed Salah is on the
verge of joining Premier League great Thierry Henry as the only
player to win four Golden Boot awards for most goals scored in a
campaign, with the Egyptian currently on 28 strikes.
The 32-year-old has been so far ahead of the competition
that he could still get his hands on the trophy without scoring
again.
In a stellar campaign, where his contract negotiations often
stole the headlines, Salah justified his two-year extension by
putting up exceptional numbers.
He has been directly involved in 46 Premier League goals
this term (which includes 18 assists) - a record for a player in
a 38-game season - and he could even breach the 50-mark before
the campaign wraps up.
Individual numbers aside, Salah is also revelling in making
the players around him much better in a season of reinvention
under Slot.
* DOMINIK SZOBOSZLAI
Liverpool had to rebuild their entire midfield after their
last title-winning season and Dominik Szoboszlai has become the
team's new engine in the middle of the park driving them on with
his immense work rate.
With the energy to cover a lot of ground off the ball,
Szoboszlai routinely runs over 11 kilometres a game and is the
key man in Liverpool's midfield press to win the ball back or
force turnovers.
Slot also challenged Szoboszlai to improve his output in the
final third and the Hungary captain responded, most notably
assisting Salah and scoring another in a 2-0 win at Manchester
City that gave them a psychological edge in the title race.
"Last year I was playing as an eight and more as a defensive
part of the game than offensively. This time I am a little bit
more offensive than defensive, and I'm still doing the work for
the defence part," Szoboszlai said.
"He (Slot) changed my game a lot and I improved a lot under
him."
* RYAN GRAVENBERCH
For a player who struggled to break into the starting lineup
last season under Juergen Klopp, Ryan Gravenberch is now one of
the first names on the team sheet under Slot.
The Dutch manager has utilised the 22-year-old's versatility
to shield his back line and play in his midfield double-pivot
while his ability to quickly initiate attacks with his trademark
turn has not gone unnoticed.
Gravenberch has a superb knack for reading opponents'
intentions and cutting out passing lanes, putting him among the
leading players in the league for interceptions, while he is
also adept at winning back possession.
No wonder then that he has been one of three Liverpool
players to start every game this season.
* VIRGIL VAN DIJK
Liverpool skipper Virgil van Dijk is the one outfield player
to have played every minute in 34 Premier League games, an
ever-present colossus in the defence despite his own issues with
contract negotiations with the club.
Van Dijk will be 34 in the close season but the Dutchman has
shown no signs of slowing down, producing consistently superb
performances even though his Liverpool future was in doubt,
convincing the club to give him two more years.
No player has completed more passes while he is one of five
players to make at least 50 interceptions this season.
But more than just the numbers, he has marshalled the
back-line as Liverpool sealed the title with the second-best
defensive record in the league.