Dominik Szoboszlai is absolutely flourishing at the moment. Since coming back from injury, the Hungarian has bounced back in great form for Liverpool. He has now scored four goals and registered two assists in his last eight matches for club and country. Made even more impressive by the fact that Szoboszlai only started five of those eight matches. Meaning that in this eight game period, Szoboszlai has averaged a goal contribution every 78 minutes.
This is by far his best run of form since arriving at Liverpool in front of goal, and it comes at the perfect time for the Reds. Just as Jurgen Klopp’s side is about to embark on the most important period of the season.
With just eight games left now until the end of the Premier League and Liverpool level on points with first placed Arsenal, everything is still at stake. Szoboszlai has won league titles in the past, but he will be desperate to win the Premier League.
First though, he still has an important friendly game left to play for his country against Kosovo, having already caught the eye against Turkey earlier this week in a game which he may have sent a timely message to Liverpool about the club’s situation regarding Mohamed Salah.
Why Szoboszlai should change Liverpool’s stance on Salah
For years now, Mohamed Salah has been Liverpool’s primary penalty spot taker. The Egyptian has stepped up time and time again, but his efficiency has not been very productive from the spot. Especially recently.
Salah has missed four penalties out of his last 11 attempted for Liverpool, which means he has a conversion rate of just 63.63% – a really poor output by a penalty taker. The average is roughly 70-75%, with a penalty almost always regarded as a high percent probability of turning into a goal.
However, recently Salah has underperformed those expectations. And far too often, he has not been able to convert those high probability chances into goals.
On the other hand, Dominik Szoboszlai showed once again that he is a very prolific penalty taker. Against Turkey, Szoboszlai scored the 17th penalty goal of his career from his 18th attempt taking his conversion rate to 94.4%.
Once again, his penalty goal was in a decisive moment with the game hanging in the balance. Szoboszlai’s penalty was then enough to secure victory for Hungary against Turkey. This is not the first time he has scored in high-pressure situations either.
Szoboszlai has scored penalties in the final minute against the game in the Champions League against Paris Saint Germain. He scored a winning penalty against England for his national team and against Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga.
Given how productive he has been from the penalty spot, Liverpool should consider taking the responsibility away from Salah and giving it to Szoboszlai. Especially, after seeing him convert another penalty this week.