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Three games. Three wins. Three clean sheets.
The season could not have started on a better note for English club Liverpool who are comfortably sitting at the top of the EPL table. The Merseyside club has started the season on a very high note by collecting full points in their first three matches of the league which includes a prolific victory over defending champions Manchester United at Anfield. Front man Daniel Sturridge is enjoying the form of his life and is responsible for all the goals scored by his team this season. Brendan Rodgers has awarded him the central position with Iago Aspas playing wide and playmaker Phillip Coutinho playing just behind the main striker.
This strategy has helped the club to utilise all its resources and this has also enabled them to maintain a winning record till now. Sturridge and Aspas is supported by a midfield comprising of Gerrard, Jordan Henderson and Phillip Coutinho who aim at passing the ball to the strikers and also to provide final balls in the scoring area. But Rodgers will be faced with a whole new dilemma when star forward Luis Suarez returns to the field after serving out his ten match ban in the English Premier League.
Luis Suarez is one of the most controversial characters in the English Premier League at the moment for both his on and off field antics. He was the centre of a heated transfer drama between Liverpool and Arsenal this summer which ended in the Merseyside club successfully retaining his services. But this caused a rift in their relation as the player openly accused the club and the manager of cheating him and manipulating the situations to make him stay at the club.
The Uruguayan star faced a ten match suspension for biting Chelsea defender Branislav Ivanovic during their EPL match on 25th September and is set to make his return against Manchester United in the League Cup. But the Liverpool side has found their saviour in new recruit Daniel Sturridge who has guided them to a comfortable time in the absence of Suarez who has only one defeat. Another major hero in the Liverpool team is youngster Phillip Coutinho who joined the club from Inter Milan in the January transfer window. The Brazilian has utilised well by Brendan Rodgers who has given him a primary playmaker role just behind the central forward and he is also capable of playing on both sides of the midfield.
Suarez is set to make his return for Liverpool against Manchester United in the League Cup (Getty Images)
The return of Luis Suarez in the Liverpool team will mean more bench time for their Spanish recruit Iago Aspas who has started all three League matches till now. Suarez has mainly operated as the central striker in the last season which saw him score twenty three goals for his team. But the times have changed with the introduction of Sturridge who was bought from Chelsea for a mere £12 million and till now, he has proven that he is worth way more than that. Brendan Rodgers has revealed that he is looking to play him in the central role even after the return of Luis Suarez.
The Irish coach believes that Suarez needs to find his place back in the team after his absence due to the suspension, and with a proven striker like Sturridge up front, he is not looking to alter the winning combination. It seems that Suarez will be used wide in the left side as he is also known for his final balls and his ability to create goal scoring opportunities. This will create a formidable striking duo for the Merseyside club who are looking to achieve Top 4 status after missing out for the last four seasons.
Another major decision to be made by the Liverpool manager is how to organise his midfield after Suarez’s return. Coutinho is believed to retain his place at the centre of the midfield where he will play just behind Sturridge. The Brazilian has shown great talent when it comes to passing and overlapping runs which will make him the prime playmaker. Victor Moses, who has arrived on a deadline day loan deal from Chelsea, can also play a major part in Rodgers’ plans as he can be utilised on the right side as a winger or an attacking midfielder. The manager also has a bunch of resources like Raheem Sterling and Jordan Ibe who can step up to perform significant midfield duties and it is common knowledge that he has shown great faith in the young stars of the club.
Thus, it seems that as of now Liverpool will be sticking to their original plan with Sturridge playing up front as the central striker, Suarez playing a wider role and Coutinho playing just behind the main striker. It seems that Brendan Rodgers is spoilt for choice at the moment and he would like to get the right combination on the field so that he can use all his resources properly. The team is filled with talent and if they can continue their form, Liverpool is the team to watch out for this season.
