Wolves 1 – 2 Liverpool – Premier League’s best player
Dominik Szoboszlai
Steven Smith’s pre-match predictions:
Wolves 1 – 2 Liverpool
The result may not have gone the way Liverpool needed, but in a night of repetition, frustration and stilted attacking mode, one player once again tried to drag the game into something more purposeful.
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Dominik Szoboszlai was the only midfielder who consistently tried to change the tempo of the game.
Against Wolves, Wolves sat low and were happy to compress space, reducing the game to second goals and promising transitions but little in the way of creativity. The movement in front of the ball is predictable. Circulation is safe, not sharp. Too often, Liverpool would drift laterally without cutting in.
Szoboszlai refused to accept this pace.
From the start of the game, he demanded possession of the ball in tight areas, quickly spreading the play and trying to increase the tempo before Wolves could readjust their formation. While others seemed content to regain possession, the Hungarians seemed determined to disrupt the pattern – with first passes into wide areas and early diagonal and vertical passes that at least forced the home side to retreat.
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It doesn’t always come off. On nights when creativity was lacking, even his ambitions often ran into congestion. But the intent is there, and in a game of this nature, intent matters.
As the second half progressed, Wolves injected more energy into their pressing and Szoboszlai’s work rate only increased. When Liverpool finally broke through the defence, he covered the ground ruthlessly, pressing from midfield up front and trying to spark an attack. If there was a spark in the late stages, it came from him — the only redshirt senior who consistently tried to raise the emotional temperature of the game.
His performance in difficult games has become increasingly symbolic. When Liverpool were short of ideas, he became the conduit. When a structure feels stiff, he’s the one who stretches it. When the tempo dropped, he tried to increase it.
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This was not an old-school display from Liverpool. The truth is, no one really stands out. The attacking pattern was repetitive, with no creativity in the final third and defensive mistakes that were costly. Yet even amidst this mediocrity, Szoboszlai’s influence stands out.
Leadership is not always perfect; leadership is not always perfect. Sometimes it’s about persistence. He never hides. He never had it easy. He never believed that deadlock was inevitable.
If this season has felt fragmented and directionless at times, Szoboszlai has been the constant thread. The Hungarian captain-elect continues to demonstrate why he is Liverpool’s player of the season – not just for goals or assists, but for responsibility.
On a bad night, he’s still the standard-bearer.
In the coming years, this standard will define the next era.
