Liverpool analysis - Dominik Szoboszlai becomes a major concern as Darwin Nunez question needs answering

Szoboszlai concern continues

When Jurgen Klopp declared before the game he didn’t want Liverpool’s players to run the risk of red cards like Steven Gerrard in past derbies, he probably didn’t expect them to take him to heart quite so literally.

And it was the man who this season assumed the Anfield legend’s famed number eight shirt who unfortunately encapsulated the meek surrender of the Reds during the pivotal opening stages of this dire derby.

The stellar opening months to Dominik Szoboszlai’s Liverpool career had him marked out as one of the signings of the campaign, only for untimely injury to send his embryonic Reds career wildly off track.

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Rarely can the Hungarian have been as ineffective as here, offering little going forward and borderline invisible as Everton snapped into challenges to seize the early initiative.

For whatever reason, there was no semblance of fight from Szoboszlai which contributed to Liverpool being comprehensively outmuscled where it mattered in midfield – a criminal offence in a derby. Still only 23, this was a chastening experience but one from which Szoboszlai has to learn.

Alongside him, Curtis Jones toiled away to not much reward while Alexis Mac Allister became frustrated at not being able to overly affect the game from the number six position. By the time Wataru Endo’s emergence allowed him to push forward, it was far too late.

Nunez question nears

Liverpool’s travails in front of goal continued before a ball had even been kicked at Goodison.

Having had their forward line questioned following a month in which they frittered away a succession of decent chances to drop costly points, the Reds’ attack was given a much-needed shot of confidence in victory at Fulham on Sunday with Diogo Jota scoring on his return to the starting line-up and Cody Gakpo posting a man-of-the-match showing.

Typical, then, that neither were available here, Jota out for a fortnight with a minor injury and Gakpo attending the birth of his child. But there should still have been sufficient firepower in Mohamed Salah, Darwin Nunez and Luis Diaz.

All had their chances in the first half, the best of which saw Nunez, fed by Salah, smashing at Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford, while Diaz, the brightest forward, later hit the inside of the post with a fine effort. But no.

The knee-jerk reaction from disgruntled observers will now be to sell all of them, but what will be a genuine concern to Liverpool is that, for the second successive campaign in a row, Nunez has fallen away dramatically during the closing weeks of the season.

Fathoming what to do with the striker will be a priority for Klopp’s successor.

Konate woes go on

Even with an evolving squad, enough of this Liverpool side have been around the block enough times to know how to handle a demanding occasion. But for the opening half-hour, they played right into Everton’s hands.

The renowned lack of threat from open play from the Blues this season meant they were always likely to play for set-pieces. And Liverpool’s willingness to allow themselves to get into positions to give away soft free-kicks eventually proved costly as Jarrad Branthwaite forced home the opener.

The ball had fallen to the Everton defender after Ibrahima Konate got in the way of an attempt by Mac Allister to clear, a snapshot of a nightmare performance for the France international. And wayward showings have become an increasing feature of late for Konate, who hasn’t been the same since returning from his latest injury.

His replacement during the second half, Jarell Quansah, could count himself unlucky not to start after a solid showing at Fulham. Certainly, the centre-back pecking order at the start of next season will be intriguing.