The Sunday Times - UK (2022-04-24)

10 April 24, 2022The Sunday Times

Football Premier League

tackles) but not radically. The differ-

ence is that Liverpool’s better and

higher pressing means they are recov-

ering the ball closer to the opposition

goal, making Thiago’s actions more

eye-catching — and telling.

2:06 THIAGO TO JORDAN

HENDERSON

Thiago’s second pass of the match

came after he received possession

from Andrew Robertson on the

halfway line. United were in their

perfect defensive shape: a narrow,

compact 4-4-2, and Thiago came

infield from the left, looking like he

was about to play square to Joël Matip.

It was all disguise. Thiago suddenly

dropped a shoulder and swivelled to

play a slicing diagonal ball through the

crowded midfield to the feet of Jordan

Henderson on the opposite side, tak-

ing six United players out of the game

and getting his team 25 yards up the

pitch. An opportunity ensued.

Against United, Thiago progressed

the ball an astonishing 592 yards — the

length of 5½ pitches — and in Europe

H

e ambled off with the left leg

of his shorts rolled up, a

little oddly — but who could

really question Thiago

Alcântara’s aesthetics and

style? When he was substi-

tuted, Anfield rose to

applaud less like a football

crowd than an audience at a trium-

phant exhibition opening. The old

stadium has provided the stage for

plenty of displays of greatness — but

perhaps few so rich in art.

Liverpool 4 Manchester United 0,

April 19, 2022, will be remembered for

Thiago. Yes, for United’s feebleness

too, but from a Liverpool perspec-

tive as the signature game of a

Spain midfielder whom the

Kop was in love with long

before his bravura night.

Thiago played 79 minutes and

completed the same number of

passes (105) as Bruno Fernandes,

Nemanja Matic, Marcus Rashford,

Jadon Sancho and Anthony Elanga

combined.

He has always been a connoisseur’s

player but it has probably taken until

the past two months, in which —

significantly — he has at last been inju-

ry-free and in a full-strength Liverpool

team, to be properly appreciated by

the wider football public in England.

Those passes — like someone once

said of Robin van Persie’s goals —

could be hung in a gallery. Here is

Thiago, seen through ten of them, all

from the United game.

1 MINUTE 9 SECONDS

THIAGO TO VIRGIL VAN DIJK

It was appropriate that Thiago’s first

pass was to Van Dijk, a simple five-

yard ball, as the pair kept possession.

“He knew how we played and that he

would fit in and we knew it as well. It

was always about being fit,” Jürgen

Klopp said, alluding to why it has

taken until recently to fully witness

the package that led Pep Guardiola to

tell Bayern Munich’s board, when

discussing transfers after arriving in

Germany, “Thiago oder nichts”

(Thiago or nobody).

Injuries bedevilled Thiago’s seven

seasons with Bayern and have ham-

pered him at Liverpool, causing him

to miss 44 games since his transfer 19

months ago. Klopp traces those issues

back to the hit Thiago took from a red-

card-earning reckless challenge by

Richarlison in the notorious Mersey-

side derby of October 2020, in which

Van Dijk also suffered serious injury.

Thiago’s fortunes are entwined

with Van Dijk’s not just because of that

game, but because of how Van Dijk

makes him more effective. The return

of Van Dijk enabled Liverpool to move

their defensive line higher, allowing

Liverpool to press further up the pitch

and — according to Driblab, the lead-

ing football data consultancy — 18 per

cent more aggressively.

Driblab’s analysis suggests Thiago’s

play has not changed much. In 2021-22

he is in the upper echelon of players in

Europe’s big five leagues for progres-

sive passing and passing in the

build-up to expected goals (xG) — but

that was already the case last season.

His defensive work is up (more

recoveries, more interceptions, more

JONATHAN

NORTHCROFT

Football Correspondent

ON TV

Liverpool v Everton

Sky Sports Main Event,

Kick-off 4.30pm

THIAGO’S RECENT

IMPROVEMENT

2020-21 PL season

2021-22 PL, Aug-Dec

2021-22 PL, Dec-present

Pass accuracy (%)

Mins/chances created

Mins/interception

89.6

61.9

61.9

Pass accuracy (%)

Mins/chances created

Mins/interception

86.3

56.5

96.9

Pass accuracy (%)

Mins/chances created

Mins/interception

90.4

49.2

34. 7

HOW

THIAGO

PASSED

THE

TEST

y. The differ-

s better and

hey are recov-

he opposition

actions more

ng.

RDAN

of the match

d possession

son on the

were in their

e: a narrow,

Thiago came

oking like he

to Joël Matip.

ago suddenly

d swivelled to

ll through the

feet of Jordan

site side, tak-

ut of thegame

yards up the

nsued.

go progressed

92 yards — the

nd in Europe

A study of ten moments of artistry

against United that showed why

Klopp invests so much faith in him