A triumphant day for Liverpool at the King Power Stadium produced some unsurprisingly mixed statistics.
If Simon Mignolet wasn’t performing more penalty heroics, Philippe Coutinho was bagging another headline goal from outside the box. If that wasn’t happening, Mohamed Salah was building on his emphatic start to life at Liverpool.
It wasn’t all positive though, with another unbalanced performance from the midfield trio injecting more cause for concern.
Penalty king-
Simon Mignolet has saved 7 of the 15 #PL penalties he’s faced since joining Liverpool in 2013 – more than any other keeper… pic.twitter.com/LtgvzzkuD9
— Premier League (@premierleague) September 23, 2017
Mignolet may come under criticism for certain aspects of his game, but one thing that can’t be questioned is his outstanding record when it comes to penalties.
His Anfield career began with a crucial penalty save at home to Stoke City, which has since appeared to be no fluke.
It seems Reds are more comfortable watching Mignolet face a spot kick than watching the team face a corner.
The man for the spectacular-
Most goals from outside the box since Philippe Coutinho’s debut:
P. Coutinho (16)
C. Eriksen (15)
Y. Toure (14)
W. Rooney (11)He’s back! pic.twitter.com/Z3u2cI1Ozz
— BT Sport Football (@btsportfootball) September 23, 2017
Coutinho does not do tap-ins.
Saturday’s win saw the Brazilian edge ever closer to his magical best, providing a stunning assist for Salah’s header before curling in a free-kick to put the Reds 2-0 up.
Don’t be surprised to see that figure rise significantly over the next few months.
Where’s our Gini gone?
Midfield touches yesterday:
Wijnaldum – 34
Can – 62
Henderson – 93The skipper carried them, but it’s not fashionable to praise him ATM.
— Empire of the Kop (@empireofthekop) September 24, 2017
There’s no need to be too negative after such an important win, but there are undeniable concerns regarding Georginio Wijnaldum’s recent contributions.
The Dutchman has endured a tough start to the campaign, which continued with a lacklustre individual display against Leicester.
His struggles away from home were evident again and somewhat exposed by Jordan Henderson’s standout performance.
With Sadio Mane ready to return to action after his three game suspension, Wijnaldum now risks losing his place in midfield to Coutinho.
Salah off to a flyer-
Mo Salah in numbers:
6 PL games
4 goals
7 chances created
1 assist
9/11 take-ons
68% shot accuracyWhat a signing 🤙🏻pic.twitter.com/CswC3vsnEP
— LFC Stats (@LFCData) September 23, 2017
In what has been a challenging couple of months for Liverpool, Salah’s bright start to life at his new club has been a standout feature.
The Egyptian has hit the ground running at Anfield and justified early presumptions he would be a perfect fit to not only Klopp’s setup but also his approach.
His goal-scoring form has been superb, as has the understanding he has built with the likes of Mane, Coutinho and Roberto Firmino.
He is already looking like a bargain.
SEE MORE:
Phil, the skipper & a feared quartet- five storylines from Liverpool’s thrilling win over Leicester