5 reasons Szoboszlai at right-back could be Arne Slot’s masterstroke vs Man City

Liverpool face Manchester City at Anfield this Sunday. This game usually decides where the Premier League trophy goes, but Arne Slot is dealing with a real mess in defence. Conor Bradley is out, and Joe Gomez isn’t fit enough to start.

5 reasons Dominik Szoboszlai at right-back could be Arne Slot’s masterstroke vs Man City

This means the boss has to get creative. Reports say Dominik Szoboszlai will drop into the backline. At first, that sounds like a panic move. But it could actually be a genius tactical play. Here is why this experiment might just shut down Pep Guardiola’s side.

1. Matching the Pace of the City’s Attack

Manchester City are lethal at attacking the space behind full-backs. Jeremy Doku and Savinho are injured, but Pep Guardiola now has Antoine Semenyo up his sleeve. Liverpool needs serious recovery speed to stop him.

Szoboszlai is one of Liverpool’s fastest players. He hit a top speed of 34.49 km/h this season. That makes him faster on the recovery than Joe Gomez. If City’s wingers get through, Szoboszlai has the wheels to catch them. He can stop those low cut-backs that Guardiola loves so much.

2. Superior Press Resistance

City hunt Liverpool’s defenders high up the pitch. Most defenders panic when they’re under that kind of pressure. They usually hoof the ball away and lose it. Szoboszlai is different because he’s a natural midfielder.

He stays calm when things get tight. His passing accuracy in the Champions League is a massive 89.6%. When City’s forwards chase him, he can dribble past them or pick out a clever pass. This turns the City’s own press against them. It keeps Liverpool from getting pinned in their own box.

3. The Engine to Track Runners

Guardiola’s teams never stop moving. Midfielders dart inside, and full-backs overlap all day long. The Liverpool full-back has to chase runners for the full 90 minutes. Szoboszlai has an elite engine.

He covers about 11.5 km every single game. Slot has already praised how hard the guy works. That stamina is key. It means he can track runners until the 80th minute without switching off. That is vital against a team that scores so many late goals.

4. Creating a Midfield Overload

Guardiola wins games by packing the middle of the pitch. Putting a midfielder at right-back helps Slot fight back. When Liverpool has the ball, Szoboszlai can move inside. He can sit next to Alexis Mac Allister or Ryan Gravenberch to overload the centre.

This will mess with the City’s marking. Does their winger follow him inside and leave Mohamed Salah open? Or do they stay wide and let Liverpool run the midfield? That confusion will break City’s defensive shape.

5. Offensive Threat from Deep

Since the Reds no longer have Trent, Liverpool has usually lost their best playmaker on the right. Szoboszlai can cover that gap. He has already created 43 chances and 5 big chances in the league this year.

He can cross and pass from deep just like Trent. This allows him to flip the field with those long, diagonal balls. City has to treat him as a threat, not just a defender. That will keep their wingers busy defending and reduce how much they can attack.