Liverpool midfielder, Jordan Henderson, has been compared to Casemiro and three others in terms of advanced passes.
Liverpool may not play with the similar gross negligence as they did in Jurgen Klopp’s early years when the manager’s hard rock playing style was in high operation, but they still do a lot of their finest work when they play quickly.
While they are competent in modifying their technique to the problems that the opponent presents, they continue to stay as one of the Premier League’s most straightforward clubs.
According to Optajoe statistics, they are advancing the ball up the pitch at a 10% higher rate in 2021/22 than they were last season, and only Leeds have registered more frontal threats this season.
To be able to do something like this on a constant basis, the Reds need to be able to make as many first-time passes as possible. According to new stats published by Statsbomb, they have one player who thrives at doing the same.
Alexander-Arnold is one of about 19 players in Europe’s top five leagues this season who has averaged at least nine first-time passes per 90 minutes. He has the poorest pass success rate among the men in this group, but he is substantially more artistic than the majority of them, and his penetrating passes have always been the most deadly and difficult to accomplish.
The Red’s number 66, nevertheless, is not the only player in this select group of first-time passers. Jordan Henderson is the second, and he not only falls into the nine-plus club but likewise into a group of five players who hit at least 11 first-time passes in every match played.
Henderson, likewise, Alexander-Arnold, has the poorest first-time pass accuracy percentage among his contemporaries, but he wraps up more passes into the opposition penalty box than anyone else, and only Herrera has superior stats for forwarding passes and projected assists.
Liverpool has scored three counter-attacking league goals this season as per Opta’s statistics, and the two that had an assist were both created by their captain.
The first occurred at Old Trafford, early in the second half, after he and Roberto Firmino pressed Paul Pogba in the center circle to win the ball. Henderson then played a great through ball to Mohamed Salah, though in this instance, he had already taken a couple of touches.
That’s not really the scenario in December when the similar pair collaborated to score the Reds’ second goal in a 4-1 victory at Goodison Park. When Henderson got the pass from Thiago somewhere within their half, he had already opened the score with a magnificent curled strike. Salah was located by a first-time pass, and he came to the rescue as usual.
