22 games, 20 goals: Jurgen Klopp just stumbled on the ‘special’ ingredient for Liverpool’s 4-4-2

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Mohamed Salah is the ‘special’ element needed for Liverpool’s 4-4-2. The Egyptian produced magic this week.

Mohamed Salah has been in questionable form this season. It’s not much that the goals have dried up – though, they have – but more that Liverpool struggle even to involve him.

Salah had one touch in the box gainst Arsenal at the weekend. It was a stat that didn’t surprise after what we’ve seen this season – he’s just not getting the ball in decent positions.

Of course, the entire team hasn’t been playing well. Liverpool can’t control games, their defence is leaky and creating chances is a chore. This isn’t the side that came so close to winning the lot last season.

Thus Jurgen Klopp made a change last week when he switched to a 4-4-2 against Rangers. Though, with Liverpool’s attacking options, it essentially plays like a 4-2-4.

That was the formation we saw at Arsenal and once again, Salah couldn’t get into the game. The strikers did – Darwin Nunez and Roberto Firmino both scored. The Egyptian just wasn’t able to do much of anything, however.

Fast-forward to now and things look a little different. Klopp may have stumbled upon the ‘special’ element needed for this formation to work.

Salah in Liverpool’s 4-4-2

Liverpool have been okay in the 4-4-2 but far from perfect. But things got a little crazy at Ibrox on Wednesday. Salah didn’t start the game – unsurprising, given Manchester City wait at the weekend.

Instead, he came on as a substitute in the second half. Klopp didn’t throw him out on the right flank, however – he came on centrally to play as a striker.

The result was incredible. Salah scored a hattrick in six minutes as he kept finding the ball in solid areas. Diogo Jota, playing just off him, assisted all three. Klopp called Salah’s performance ‘special’ and hailed everyone for adapting to the formation so well.

Perhaps this shouldn’t be a shock. Per Understat, Salah’s record as a striker is phenomenal: 22 Premier League starts, 20 goals and four assists since joining Liverpool in 2017. And that doesn’t include Champions League fixtures, nor games where he switched to the position.

Salah, though, always played the role in a 4-2-3-1 with a midfielder behind him. Now, Liverpool are playing a strike partnership – play as a striker and you get a teammate close to you at all times, drawing defenders away.

That might suit Salah perfectly, be it Jota, Roberto Firmino or Darwin Nunez. It means Liverpool can constantly get Salah in and around the box and the extra striker makes it near impossible to double-up on him defensively.

If Klopp wishes to persist with this formation, using Salah centrally could be key. He’d add that unstoppable element that teams can’t contend with, changing the system from a makeshift option into something potentially very special.