Arne Slot’s Tactical Tweak in Liverpool’s Defeat to Brighton Could’ve been a Huge Florian Wirtz Hint | OneFootball

Dominik Szoboszlai in Deeper Role: Tactical Experiment or Glimpse of the Future?

Fresh from lifting the Premier League title in his debut campaign, Arne Slot has already shown a willingness to experiment, and few tweaks were as eye-catching as his deployment of Dominik Szoboszlai in a deeper midfield role during Liverpool’s 3-2 defeat to Brighton. While the result was disappointing, David Lynch’s analysis on Anfield Index sheds light on why this tactical move is worth a second look.

“You take the goal out of it because he didn’t mean it and you don’t want to judge his performance just off that, but it was definitely one of the more interesting aspects of the game,” Lynch remarked. It’s a fair point. Judging Szoboszlai purely on a fortuitous goal would miss the broader tactical story unfolding.

In the first half, his exquisite diagonal ball to Conor Bradley, setting up the opening goal, was arguably the moment that best encapsulated his potential in the number eight role. “You see immediately what he can do in that role when he pings the ball out to Conor Bradley for the first goal, that was absolutely brilliant.”

Evaluating Szoboszlai’s Output

Szoboszlai’s statistical output offers a mixed bag. He failed to win any of his four tackles, which Lynch noted as an outlier: “He didn’t win a single tackle out of four attempts, which is interesting. But that’s not usually him, he normally wins much more than that so that could just be a bit of a freakish stat that has gone against him.”

However, it wasn’t all concerning. He won five out of ten ground duels, suggesting that while his tackling was off, he was still combative and engaged. “We know he is combative in that area and gets around the pitch well.” It’s important to acknowledge the nuances in performance data, especially when a player is adapting to a new role.

Szoboszlai has at times looked limited in the final third, where his decision-making can lack subtlety. As Lynch noted, “When he’s not in that really advanced position, where he can sometimes lack a little bit of craft, you take that out of his game when he is in the number eight role and he even said to Slot that he is more suited to that role and I would agree.”

Slot’s Tactical Curiosity

Arne Slot’s willingness to test players in unfamiliar positions could be read in two ways: as mid-season pragmatism or as a methodical assessment of his squad’s true potential. The fact that this positional shift happened after Liverpool had secured the title only adds to the theory that Slot is already preparing for next season.

“We don’t know how this summer is going to pan out for Liverpool, but it’s obviously something that Slot wanted to take a look at,” Lynch added. That he’s already trialling potential midfield solutions suggests that plans are in motion, and Szoboszlai could be part of a more balanced and dynamic midfield trio moving forward.

Liverpool have been heavily linked with a mega-money move to sign Florian Wirtz from Bayer Leverkusen this summer, who would naturally slot into the attacking midfield role that is usually taken up by Szoboszlai. Could Slot have been looking into the future of this Liverpool squad with this tactical change against Brighton?

Photo: IMAGO

What This Means Going Forward

Liverpool’s midfield is arguably the most malleable part of their setup. With Wataru Endo aging and questions still lingering over the long-term roles of Curtis Jones and Ryan Gravenberch, Szoboszlai could become a key figure if he can adapt to the more disciplined demands of a deeper position. The raw attributes are there: passing range, athleticism, tactical awareness. But consistency will be the measure of his viability in that role.

For fans, this match may have been forgettable in terms of scoreline, but for analysts and managers alike, it offered a window into what may become a permanent feature of Slot’s evolving Liverpool side. Szoboszlai’s versatility is no longer a hypothetical — it’s a tool Slot appears keen to sharpen.