Boyhood Scouser Trent Alexander-Arnold left the Premier League champions in the summer to join the glitz and glamour of Real Madrid. The right-back had a huge impact at the club since breaking into the first team all the way back in 2016.
His departure left a void that many expected to be filled by new signing Jeremie Frimpong, but due to a few lingering injury issues and a lack of form, Szoboszlai has found himself filling in more often than not.
The Hungarian has been quite the success since.
Question marks after a blockbuster summer
Liverpool shattered the British transfer record to secure the signing of Florian Wirtz from Bayer Leverkusen for a reported £116 million fee. Wirtz operates in the same position Szoboszlai did last season, leaving questions marks about how the two would be used.
Wirtz has had some issues since joining, but given the fee they paid for him, it’s unlikely he’ll be dropped from the starting eleven for a significant period of time, although he did miss out in the Merseyseide Derby earlier in the season.
The German’s lack of creative output (so far) has forced Arne Slot to try and find that spark elsewhere, although even he would be hard pressed to admit sticking the midfielder out at right back was always the plan.
It all started when Frimpong’s debut was cut short by a hamstring injury suffered against Bournemouth. Wataru Endo and Joe Gomez both had short spells at right back off the bench during the closing stages of that 4-2 victory.
Szoboszlai was then given the nod to play in the position for the trip to St James’ Park and has since played four of his six games across all competitions for Liverpool at right-back, scoring a remarkable freekick in the 1-0 win over Arsenal.
How is Slot Utilising Szoboszlai at right back?
Szoboszlai has been used in that Alexander-Arnold mold that Liverpool are so used to, providing long, sweeping passes and diagonal switches similar to his old teammate while also showing his ability to deliver direct passes through the lines.
In the game against Arsenal, he was particularly impressive, providing ten passes into the final third, five accurate long balls, and, of course, scoring the free kick that sealed all three points and likely made Alexander-Arnold blush.
One may assume that his defensive play is lacking, but looking at the Arsenal game again, he absolutely pocketed Gabriel Martinelli. The Brazilian didn’t complete a single dribble against Szoboszlai, having just 15 touches and one pass into the final third.
Szoboszlai ended the game with six clearances, five recoveries and two ground duels won. Of course this is just one game, so it’s a small sample size, but it demonstrates just how Slot is using him to great effect to help make up for the side’s creative deficiencies.
His work rate is also a huge factor to his success at right back. Slot spoke about it back in January, saying: "Dom's work-rate is un-be-lievable! He just keeps on running with the highest intensity and that is so important for a team that wants to compete for something."
A willingness to learn
Speaking after the win over Arsenal, Szoboszlai insisted that he would be happy to play anywhere he was asked. "I play where he puts me," he said after his Player-of-the-Match-winning outing against Arsenal, "I try to give my best, and help the team."
He played right-back in the 1-0 Champions League defeat to Galatasaray on Tuesday (September 30), committing the foul that allowed Victor Osimhen to step up and secure all three points for the Turkish side from the penalty spot.
Despite that one incident, he was still the most accurate passer (94%) to play 45 minutes or more. If slot is to persist with this tactic, Szoboszlai will have to continue to put in the hours and learn.
After a summer that left many scratching their heads about where he might play, Wirtz and Frimpong should be more worried about their place in the squad. Liverpool’s best starting eleven now has Szoboszlai at right-back.