Dominik Szoboszlai was once again tireless in Liverpool’s 4-0 win over Tottenham, combining that with a relentless attacking threat to reach the Carabao Cup final.
Szoboszlai made it five goals for the season, along with five assists, when he found the back of the net in the second half of Thursday’s rout of Spurs.
It was a just reward for the Hungarian who was again vital to the cause on and off the ball, with Arne Slot saying last month that he “always felt that it’s a matter of time” before his No. 8 turned application to goals.
While Slot’s front three all stood out, it was Szoboszlai who pulled off the most eye-catching all-round attacking feat.
1 – Dominik Szoboszlai tonight had five shots, nine touches in the opposition box, created five chances, won possession nine times and scored a goal, the first Liverpool player to record each of those totals in a match since Philippe Coutinho vs Maribor in 2017. Dynamo. pic.twitter.com/BQpQvUnG3O
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) February 6, 2025
Per Opta, the 24-year-old became the first Liverpool player to have five shots, make nine touches in the opposition box, create five chances, win possession at least nine times and score a goal in a single game since Philippe Coutinho in 2017.
Coutinho did so in a 7-0 victory at lowly Maribor in the Champions League group stage – and with Szoboszlai doing so in a semi-final at Anfield, his efforts are all the more outstanding.
It is a statistic which speaks to the suffocating role he plays in Slot’s midfield, not giving opponents a breath while also providing a threat in the final third.
For all the talk of his lack of input in front of goal, Szoboszlai is now one away from matching his combined tally for goals and assists in the entirety of last season.
Szoboszlai fuelled Liverpool’s push to Wembley
While there may be a clamour for a nominal No. 10 to produce more, that he is blending that with the tireless work he is required to perform off the ball makes his performances all the more impressive.
Per FotMob, no player in Thursday’s semi-final created more chances than Szoboszlai (five), with only Mohamed Salah and Cody Gakpo level in terms of shots on goal (five).
No player contested more duels (15), with only Djed Spence and Conor Bradley (both eight) winning more than Szoboszlai’s seven – although Dejan Kulusevski (10) was also the only player to lose more than his eight.
Tellingly, Szoboszlai’s game-high record of nine recoveries was only equalled by Tottenham goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky.
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