Huddersfield 0-1 Liverpool: five things learned as Salah’s goal drought ends whilst the Terrier’s continues

In an expected evening of football, Liverpool beat Huddersfield 1-0.

The Reds weren’t at their free-flowing best, but they have now picked up a win after going four games without one. That’s an important result even if their performance was poor, but what did we learn?

1. Mohamed Salah: still good

Mohamed Salah the massive one-season-wonder fraud had gone a whole four games without scoring for Liverpool. It was a shocking display that confirmed he was never any good and instead got overrated by media people with an agenda. Nevermind that Liverpool only scored two goals in those four games and failed to win any of them, showing just how much pressure is on Salah to carry his side. Nope. No good.

Salah is finished. Or he never began. Depends on the exact way you want to be wrong.

Mohamed Salah is stupendous and always has been. With every team looking at him, out to stop him, he’s still basically on pace with the production he delivered at the start of last season. And back then he was playing alongside the genius of Coutinho, too.

His goal tonight against Huddersfield, gliding away from defenders with excellent movement before finishing first-time through traffic on his weak foot into the far corner, was special. The kind of goal that only the excellent can score, brilliant but in a completely subtle and “normal” way. It was a high-class goal from a high-class player; and it came exactly when Liverpool needed it.

2. Alisson is fearless

After getting rinsed trying a Cruyff turn by Leicester, it would be tremendously easy for Alisson to cut out the antics inside his own box and, just for a while, become a very ordinary goalkeeper. An orthodox stopper who makes saves and kicks it out (very well).

But no, Alisson is going to keep on keeping on. Not doing Cruyff turns, mind you, the list of scenarios where it makes sense for a goalkeeper to do a Cruyff turn is so minimal that you’d need a microscope to see it.

But no, Alisson has been confident and composed with the ball at his feet, demanding it under all sorts of pressure. This evening Huddersfield pressed him relentlessly, and not once did Alisson show hesitation, not once did he look like Huddersfield could shake him into abandoning his style of play. And that, in part, is why Liverpool were able to ride out the 1-0 scoreline.

3. Huddersfield are wooden swords

Huddersfield have now gone five home games without a goal. That must infuriate the local fans because their overall play leading up to the final shot is superbly good fun to see. They really attacked Liverpool with extreme gusto this evening, pressing them into a poor performance.

Huddersfield were organised and focused, they knew where and when and how to press and what’s more they showed a great aptitude for actually dealing with Liverpool’s legendary counter-attack. But when they themselves got their the Reds’ goal? It all fell apart.

Sure, Alisson is a good goalkeeper but Huddersfield wasted so many great chances to make him really work. The Terriers just lacked any sort of bite; if they were a weapon they’d be a bokken, a wooden sword. Sure, they’ll beat you up and leave you covered in bruises, but they won’t kill you – they simply lack the cutting edge.

4. Fabinho Lives!

Fabinho finally made his Premier League debut against Huddersfield, coming off the bench in the second half to replace Adam Lallana on 69 minutes. It was really nice to see the Brazilian finally show up in the main competition after all these weeks of waiting – both for him individually but particular, this was a big, big moment for Liverpool.

The Reds have developed into a phenomenal side under Jurgen Klopp, but one glaring weakness has remained from his early days and that is defensive midfield. They simply haven’t had anyone in there capable of holding midfield against elite opponents. That will be a problem for them in the Champions League, as it would have been last season but for a draw that kept them away from the teams that best exploit that space. They won’t get that lucky again.

So having Fabinho, a holding midfielder who has proven capable of excellence in the Champions League when he helped Monaco punch well above their weight and make the semi-finals back in 2016/17, active and settled in the first XI is going to be massive.

Today he came on and played level with Georginio Wijnaldum at the base of midfield, but in time he will be capable of playing there by himself and when that happens, it will be a gamechanger for Liverpool.

5. Liverpool are back in business

The Reds have finally won again! Almost exactly one month after their last victory, beating Southampton 3-0 on the 22nd September, the Reds have again got a win beating Huddersfield 1-0. This is huge because it puts the Reds back in business.

Winless runs aren’t exactly rare, and given the calibre of opponent Liverpool had, not winning any of those games was somewhat forgivable. But it was important that Jurgen Klopp’s men hit the ground running after the international break. Using the time away with their countries as a way to clear their heads and refocus their minds.

That’s what they must have done. After all, Fabinho played and Salah scored, then tonight both brought that energy back to the John Smith Stadium. Now Liverpool can do what they do best; let momentum and rhythm grab hold of them and let them roll over opponent after opponent until they look like an unstoppable juggernaut again.

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