Liverpool is wasting Szoboszlai's talent; Arne Slot must do this immediately

SportScoop

26/02/2026 17:04:55 SportScoop

Liverpool's dramatic win at Nottingham Forest's stadium further demonstrated the unique impact of Dominik Szoboszlai.

In a seemingly deadlocked moment during stoppage time, the Hungarian midfielder did not choose the safe option. Instead of passing out wide to a defender for a cross, he confidently curved the ball, created a shooting angle, and delivered it perfectly to Virgil van Dijk's position. That play set up the situation for Alexis Mac Allister to score the decisive goal, turning a bland draw into a precious victory.

However, the paradox lies in this: the player considered the "soul" of manager Arne Slot's playing style is frequently pulled back to play as a right-back.

From Conductor to an Unwilling "Patch"

Szoboszlai has played in 25 out of 27 Premier League matches in the 2025-26 season (missing two due to suspension), scoring 10 goals and providing 7 assists across all competitions - his most effective season since joining Liverpool. His influence is so significant that Mohamed Salah called him "one of the best players in the world right now" and admitted the entire team "relies heavily on him".

Szoboszlai is currently Liverpool's most important player

However, due to an injury crisis at the right-back position - with Jeremie Frimpong, Conor Bradley, Joe Gomez, and even Wataru Endo successively absent - Slot has started Szoboszlai in this position seven times in the Premier League. In theory, versatility is a strength of the Hungarian international. He has played as a defensive midfielder, number 8, number 10, and even as a right winger. But versatility does not equate to optimization.

Using Szoboszlai as a "square peg in a round hole" might be acceptable in the short term. Even after his impressive performance against Arsenal earlier in the season, many opinions suggested the experiment was successful. However, the current context has changed.

When the Numbers Tell the Whole Story

The match against Forest was the clearest evidence of the waste. In the first half, when Szoboszlai started at right-back, Liverpool had only 42% possession, failed to register a single shot on target, and had a meager expected goals (xG) of just 0.06. The midfield lacked energy, fighting spirit, and particularly the ability to control the tempo.

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