M
SM

Premier League

TIMELINE

I love scoring from set-pieces - Klopp keen for Liverpool to add to goal threat

By Carl Markham, | 4d
Centre-back Virgil Van Dijk trebled his tally for the season with a brace against Watford in midweek.

Jurgen Klopp wants Liverpool to be more potent from set-pieces and for other players to chip in with goals to supplement the work of his prolific front three.

Mohamed Salah (17), Sadio Mane (14) and Roberto Firmino (nine) have scored 40 of the club's 64 Premier League goals this season.

Of the rest, 10 other players have found the scoresheet but Xherdan Shaqiri is the next-highest scorer with six and the rest are on three goals or below.

Roberto Firmino (left), Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane (right) have between them scored 40 of Liverpool's 64 Premier League goals this season (Mike Egerton/PA)

Virgil Van Dijk trebled his tally for the season with a double in the 5-0 midweek drubbing of Watford and Klopp admits any contributions from defenders – and midfielders – will help as they try to hold off Manchester City.

The Holland defender accepted this week he needs to score more and Sunday's Merseyside derby opponents Everton present a realistic opportunity for him to do that.

A third of the league goals conceded by the Toffees this season have come from set-pieces and that area is viewed as one of weakness.

“I love scoring from set-pieces, you have a lot of them in the game and you need to use them.”
- Jurgen Klopp

And Reds boss Klopp wants the likes of 6ft 3in Van Dijk to help the Reds increase the amount of goals they get from dead-ball situations.

"Of course you need goals from set-pieces, that's very important," said Klopp said.

"You need to be ready in all departments. Set-pieces helped us especially in the beginning of the season quite a lot then it disappeared a bit.

"But now hopefully we can get it back. I love scoring from set-pieces, you have a lot of them in the game and you need to use them."

Van Dijk benefited from two crosses from either flank by full-backs Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andy Robertson.

The impressive Alexander-Arnold completed a hat-trick of assists in the match and with teams playing defensively against his side Klopp knows his defenders can provide an extra dimension.

Virgil Van Dijk is a powerful presence at both ends of the pitch for Liverpool (Peter Byrne/PA)

"It's important. That's modern football. If you ask a young boy 'What's your favourite position?' I don't think a lot of boys will say 'I want to be a full-back!'" he added.

"But football has changed. They became much more important.

"In that (Watford) game it was exceptional. I don't think I was ever part of a game where somebody had a hat-trick of assists. It was special.

"He (Alexander-Arnold) wanted the match ball, so he got it. Now let's try to do something like that again."

Sadio Mane, playing in a central role with Roberto Firmino injured and still a doubt for Sunday, also scored twice in that game.

His 14-goal tally is his best in the league since arriving at Southampton from RB Salzburg in 2014.

"Sadio is coming to an age where things are becoming more natural for him. He's not having to convince people now," said Klopp, who is looking to extend his unbeaten derby record to eight matches.

"We all know that he's a world-class player, and he has started realising that for himself.

Sadio Mane is enjoying a prolific season with Liverpool (Richard Sellers/PA)

"Mix it up with his attitude and his work-rate, it can be a really decent career – even better than it was to now.

"He's in a good moment of his career, and he's in the best age group now, which they all are."

Liverpool are unbeaten in a record 16 derbies, have lost just one of the last 24 in the league and if they avoid defeat on Sunday they will set a club-record of eight games unbeaten in succession at Goodison.



amp_article_352047 : Database Data restored...  : 
last updated article - 2019-03-02 11:37:37:
html db last update - 2019-03-06 05:10:41 :

ex - 7200 : read : read cache amp html

Click here for more stories about Jurgen Klopp

Click here for more stories about Liverpool

Share this article now:

Loading ...

Failed to load data.

Loading ...

Failed to load data.

Select and display your favourite team's news and scores in this panel
Premier League Table
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Manchester CityMan City29232476205671
2Liverpool29217164154970
3Tottenham HotspurSpurs29201856302661
4Manchester UnitedMan Utd29177558382058
5Arsenal29176661392257
6Chelsea28175649301956
7Wolverhampton WanderersWolves29127103735243
8Watford29127104141043
9West Ham UnitedWest Ham29116123741-439
10Everton29107123939037
11Leicester CityLeicester29105143541-635
12Bournemouth29104153954-1534
13Crystal Palace2996143539-433
14Newcastle UnitedNewcastle2987142636-1031
15Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton2886143041-1130
16Burnley2986153253-2130
17Southampton2969143249-1727
18Cardiff CityCardiff2974182557-3225
19Fulham2945202765-3817
20Huddersfield TownHuddersfield2935211551-3614
Scroll for more - Tap for full version

Subscribe to our Newsletter


Transfer Talk Daily
Match previews - twice weekly
Morning Briefing (7am UTC)
UC
Get the latest transfer news, match previews and news direct to your inbox!

Loading ...

Failed to load data.

Loading ...

Failed to load data.

Loading ...

Failed to load data.

Select and display your favourite team's news and scores in this panel
Premier League Table
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Manchester CityMan City29232476205671
2Liverpool29217164154970
3Tottenham HotspurSpurs29201856302661
4Manchester UnitedMan Utd29177558382058
5Arsenal29176661392257
6Chelsea28175649301956
7Wolverhampton WanderersWolves29127103735243
8Watford29127104141043
9West Ham UnitedWest Ham29116123741-439
10Everton29107123939037
11Leicester CityLeicester29105143541-635
12Bournemouth29104153954-1534
13Crystal Palace2996143539-433
14Newcastle UnitedNewcastle2987142636-1031
15Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton2886143041-1130
16Burnley2986153253-2130
17Southampton2969143249-1727
18Cardiff CityCardiff2974182557-3225
19Fulham2945202765-3817
20Huddersfield TownHuddersfield2935211551-3614
Scroll for more - Tap for full version
X

We value your privacy

A part of our GDPR compliance we need to ask for your consent. We and our partners use technology such as cookies on Sports Mole to personalise content and ads, provide social media features, and analyse our traffic. Click below to consent to the use of this technology on Sports Mole.