The Premier League’s all-time leading goal-scorer Alan Shearer has heaped praise on Liverpool forward Roberto Firmino after his performance in the 3-0 win against Burnley.
Firmino scored the third goal on Saturday at Turf Moor, with his low effort from the edge of the box enough to seal all three points for the Reds.
Shearer was impressed with the Brazilian after selecting him in his Premier League Team of the Week and struggled to find a single thing wrong with the £180,000-a-week attacker’s performance [Source: Spotrac].
“The perfect centre-forward’s performance. He scored a goal and brought others into the game perfectly,” he wrote on the Premier League website.
The 27-year-old has started all four games under Jurgen Klopp this season and has been involved in as many goals – scoring two and adding a couple of assists.
OPINION
Firmino is fully deserving of the praise from Shearer after his performance against Burnley. The Brazilian was everywhere at Turf Moor and linked the attack and midfield with ease at times. His central role between Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah can often mean he can go under-the-radar at times, like when he scored 10 fewer league goals than the pair last season. But Firmino offers Klopp much more than just goals when leading the line, and has found himself in more dangerous areas so far this season. The 27-year-old has completed an average of three dribbles per game, the most of any Liverpool player according to WhoScored. Firmino has also averaged 4.3 shots on goal per game [WhoScored], which is almost double the amount he averaged last season (2.2). Should Firmino continue to play the way he is in the final third, the goals should start to flow and he will pass last season’s total with ease.
