Roberto Firmino, Mo Salah and Sadio Mané
Liverpool, 2017–
Profile
 Messi, Suárez, Neymar ; Rooney, Ronaldo, Tevez ; Messi, Pedro, Villa ; Ronaldo, Bale, Benzema. If there was a pantheon of the best front threes of advanced times, Liverpool ’ s Mo Salah, Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mané have arguably done enough to join it under the steering of Jürgen Klopp. With an about perfective combination of pace, power, proficiency, deadly finish and reciprocal understand, Salah, Firmino and Mané are irresistible at their identical good. Having sealed Liverpool ’ s first league deed in 30 years with seven games to spare of 2019/20, they then passed a meaning landmark in July 2020 when they made it to a blend 250 goals for the golf club – Salah led the manner, scoring 94 in148 games, ahead of Mané on 79 from 166 and Firmino ‘s 77 from 240.

Roberto Firmino
Firmino is often considered the link between Salah and Mané, and consequently the most creative of Liverpool ’ second bright front three. He has become a enormously influential player since Klopp ’ s date – he arrived as an attacking midfielder during the summer of 2015, before Klopp, when Raheem Sterling left for Manchester City – largely because he is the person most capable of playing as a faithlessly nine, a function that has of class become all-important to Liverpool ’ sulfur attacking play.

In 2017/18, when Liverpool ’ s exploitation under Klopp very accelerated, the brazilian ’ s defensive contributions were significant in them dominating moments of transition. He adopted advanced positions to win the testis back closer to the opposition ‘s goal and, from his centre-forward position, was the second most prolific tackler in Klopp ’ s squad. An increasing measure of Liverpool ’ sulfur goals came from Firmino ’ mho turnovers high up the pitch.

During the following season their approach became more possession-based – which it remains – with Firmino taking up more adjourn positions during build-up turn and Mané and Salah doing more of the high press that Firmino had previously done. It has sometimes even been the case that the full-backs are seen counter-pressing higher up the pitch than Firmino.

When Liverpool have the ball, Firmino drifts away from the opposition ’ randomness defense in search of distance, and regularly drops so deep that he takes the ball in front of the resistance ’ s midfield. Where he previously stayed higher, and in doing so invite Salah and Mané to run diagonally on the blindside of a centre-back, Firmino ’ s increasingly trench aligning alternatively encourages them to move baseball diamond at an earlier phase of an attack, and to remain there for longer. Liverpool are typically forced to build their attacks for drawn-out periods, given they encounter low-block defences so often, and Firmino ’ s positioning help create central overloads alongside Klopp ’ s midfield three in their attempts to play through their opponents ( below ).

Their two wider central midfielders will frequently move beyond Firmino to attack through the inside channels or wider areas, joining Salah and Mané in attack with line-breaking runs. His positioning aside from opposing cardinal defenders is much the key to releasing his teammates in attacking positions. furthermore, as he showed when leading Liverpool ’ south urge, Firmino is will to do significant defensive work, and is positionally mindful enough to react at defensive transitions by looking to regain the ball from a deeper side.



Mo Salah
Salah ’ sulfur role in Liverpool ’ s front three has besides changed. Where in 2017/18, his first base season at Anfield, he was most normally used as a wrong-footed wide forward who received self-control wide on the right and attacked inside his opposing full-back, he has since come to operate more centrally.

The egyptian ’ mho exchange of tempo, ability to subtly cut inside opponents, and accurate finish made him fecund from a broad starting position. The impressive development of Trent Alexander-Arnold, who has since provided Liverpool ’ s width on the right, however, has led to Salah moving close to goal when the right-back attacks. They have built an impressive understand, and Alexander-Arnold ’ s ability to play accurate long balls means Salah makes runs into the right groove when the right-back is in a disengage position.

When Alexander-Arnold receives the ball, Salah will sprint forwards to stretch the opposition, and look to reach the end of a whisk ball in behind the opposition ’ mho defense ( below ). Doing sol has proven an effective method acting through which Liverpool gain territory cursorily .


His combinations in more cardinal positions – often with Firmino, Mané and the right-sided midfielder – remain coherent, and he is identical effective at finding a route through a push defense with bang-up, intricate combinations. He requires little backlift to photograph, has especial dribbling ability, can shift the ball cursorily on to his strong left foot, and is bright at disguising shots before playing a pass to a teammate before looking for the refund.

He is among the best in the worldly concern at finding routes through a compact adversary and, given his yard and agility, can besides implement Klopp ’ s intense counter-press well. Salah is consequently perfective as the right-sided forward in Liverpool ’ s attack.

Sadio Mané
Mané ’ second function has besides changed over his fourth dimension at Liverpool. Recruited as a transitional proper winger, Salah ’ s arrival and the emergence of Liverpool ’ s adventurous full-backs has contributed to Mané ’ s gradual progress into an inside ahead who plays from the left. Andy Robertson is the more athletic of those two full-backs, and Mané ’ south character is very much intertwined with the Scot ’ s grim overlapping runs. Both Mané and Robertson work indefatigably on the entrust in both directions, providing consistent attacking thrust and recovery runs .


Robertson ’ south crosses tend to come from deeper into enemy district than Alexander-Arnold ‘s, following a combination with Mané and the left-sided cardinal midfielder ( above ). Alexander-Arnold ’ randomness from the correct have greater accuracy, control condition and variety, meaning that he much crosses from isolated or underloaded positions without beating an opposition, leaving Salah release to move baseball diamond at an earlier phase of the attack. Robertson, in line, often requires hold before delivering into the penalty area ; Mané therefore holds his position on the leave to help Robertson, and delays his range into the in-between.

Mané has increasingly frequently moved centrally, however, to provide a direct menace on goal with runs beyond the confrontation ’ second defensive structure. His acceleration is so annihilating that he is sometimes able to make it into the area to attack Roberton ‘s crosses, and it has become more common for him to look to get in behind when Firmino is appearing in deeply positions. He has become as big a finish terror for Liverpool as Salah.

Klopp ’ mho team used to lack that threat on the leave, but their domestic, european and world achiever under Klopp owes partially to the greater consistency with which Mané scores, because he has taken a big deal of pressure off of Salah. His explosive finishes, focal ratio of idea and crisp movements make him lethal in front man of goal, and as a result Liverpool have two first goalscorers playing from across-the-board in the concluding third. Most crucial of all is the on-pitch understand – a full of life ingredient for any successful front three – Firmino, Salah and Mané have .