Liverpool are set to be back in Premier League action this weekend as they take on Watford at Anfield.
Their last outing saw them earn a 2-0 victory over Arsenal, but with manager Jurgen Klopp having plenty of options to pick his starting XI from, just who should he unleash against the Hornets?
On the chalkboard
The German manager should look to unveil Roberto Firmino on Saturday afternoon after he was completely unused by Brazil during the international break and therefore, will be fully fit and raring to go.
The 30-year-old came off the bench to score in the Reds’ previous game against the Gunners and managed to punish his upcoming opponents with a hat-trick in the reverse fixture earlier in the season, a 5-0 whitewash, so it’s fair to say that he enjoys netting plenty of goals against them.
Despite only starting eight of Liverpool’s matches so far this season, the £34.2m-rated talisman averages 1.3 shots per game, as per WhoScored, showing that he isn’t afraid to have a shot on target and for a squad of Liverpool’s calibre, that is exactly what you want all of your players to be consistently doing.
Firmino has earned himself high praise for his contribution on the pitch, with teammate Trent Alexander-Arnold previously labelling him the “best number 9 in the world”.
As a senior member of the Anfield outfit, the £180k-per-week star is a key figure in this team and with his excellent link-up play, is someone that you should be looking to build around whenever he’s on the field.
Having lost his place to the likes of Diogo Jota and January signing Luis Diaz in recent outings, failing to start a top-flight game since the 1-0 win over Burnley in mid-February, it could be time for Klopp to unleash his trusty Brazilian marksman this lunchtime.
The German boss is clearly still a big fan of Firmino, once describing him as a unique talent and lauding him as “exceptional“.
With Liverpool needing to get all three points against Claudio Ranieri’s men in order to remain hot on City’s heels in the title race, the machine-like forward could well prove to be the difference between winning and losing his team’s next cup final.
In other news, Liverpool have been linked with a move for a £32k-per-week star. Read more here.
