Roberto Firmino put in a performance to remember vs Bournemouth on Saturday. The Liverpool forward was sensational.
Roberto Firmino has come in for some criticism in recent times. And rightly so, to be fair – the Brazilian hasn’t been up to his usual standards.
The performance against Manchester United was pretty awful all-around but Firmino was particularly frustrating. He dropped far too deep into midfield – often out of necessity – and failed to link play properly.
But with both Diogo Jota and Darwin Nunez out of action, Firmino started again as Liverpool hosted Bournemouth on Saturday. The following 9-0 win saw a sensational team performance and, right on time, Firmino at his best.
One stat stands out – Firmino created four chances for teammates, three of which became assists. He did that in only 20 passes, too, and that’s the no.9 at his best. Instead of dropping deep and being involved heavily, Firmino played between the lines and offered that link with midfield.
It was perfection, in all honesty. This was Firmino as the player Jurgen Klopp called ‘essential’ last month. Someone who makes every touch count and finds a way to tear teams apart in difficult areas. Creating a chance with 20% of your passes is incredible.
Firmino didn’t stop there, of course. He scored twice to wrap up a magnificent 70 minutes of action. It doesn’t really get any better from a False 9.
Roberto Firmino vs Bournemouth
Liverpool have one more game without Nunez – Wednesday at Anfield against Newcastle United. We can’t imagine Jota returns for that, either, so Firmino will get another game to show his worth.
And if he plays anything like he did against Bournemouth, there’s little doubt he’ll also start against Everton next weekend. Firmino was just that good – a player that defences simply can’t handle.
At this rate, Nunez faced a fight to get back into the side.
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