Dominik Szoboszlai: Liverpool’s Hungarian Phenom
Through all the drama and hardship that has hit Liverpool so far this season, with solid first-team regulars like Virgil van Dijk, Ibrahima Konaté, Alexis Mac Allister, and Mohamed Salah underperforming compared to their previously set standards, and new signings such as Florian Wirtz, Milos Kerkez, and Alexander Isak failing to hit the ground running, it has been a turbulent campaign.
All of this has happened in a team that won the league comfortably last season and then broke the British transfer record twice in the same window, a clear signal of intent as Liverpool looked to establish themselves as the top dogs of the Premier League. Instead, they find themselves in fourth place almost halfway through the season, ten points behind league leaders Arsenal at the time of writing.
Yet for everything that has gone wrong at Liverpool, one player has remained a constant spark and beacon of hope within the squad. Seemingly unfazed by injuries, underperforming teammates, and the entire Salah–Slot situation, Dominik Szoboszlai has been Liverpool’s best player so far this season. He has contributed defensively, controlled games in midfield, and posed a consistent attacking threat.
Despite already having his best season for Liverpool last year in terms of goals and assists, registering 12 goal contributions in the Premier League and 17 in all competitions while playing a key role in the club’s first league title in over three years. Liverpool still went out and broke the British transfer record to sign Wirtz from Bayer Leverkusen for around €125 million. With the departure of the uniquely skilled Trent Alexander-Arnold, Wirtz was expected to become the team’s new creative spark.
The general consensus was that Szoboszlai’s minutes and influence would be reduced as a result of Wirtz’s arrival, but that has proven to be far from the case. With Alexander-Arnold gone and Wirtz struggling to settle, Szoboszlai has elevated his performances even further and now has the second-most minutes played in the Premier League this season, behind only captain Van Dijk.
While he has just one goal and two assists in the league so far, those numbers alone fail to tell the full story. Of his 16 Premier League appearances, 25% have come at right-back, a position Szoboszlai had never played before this season. Even so, he has more than held his own, showcasing his defensive qualities by averaging 1.8 tackles per match and 5.6 ball recoveries per game.
His performances convinced many fans that he could be the best Alexander-Arnold replacement at right-back, highlighted by an iconic display against Arsenal. In that match, Szoboszlai helped keep a clean sheet and scored his only league goal of the season so far, delivering a match-winning free kick that took Liverpool to the top of the table at that stage.
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Szoboszlai has also been world-class in the Champions League, where he has arguably been Liverpool’s standout performer. He has delivered a series of masterclasses, recording three goals and three assists and averaging a goal contribution per match. He provided assists against Atlético Madrid and Real Madrid, scored against Inter to secure crucial group-stage wins, and netted Liverpool’s only goal in a 4–1 home defeat to PSV.
With 10 goal contributions already in all competitions, Szoboszlai is on course for his best individual season at Liverpool, but his influence has extended beyond club football as well. On the international stage with Hungary, he recorded one goal and four assists in six World Cup qualifying matches. Had it not been for a Troy Parrott hat-trick, there would be serious discussion about Hungary potentially qualifying for the World Cup next year.
Despite this being his most versatile season having played six different positions according to Transfermarkt. Szoboszlai ranks in the 94th percentile for progressive passes (6.42 per 90) and the 83rd percentile for shot-creating actions (4.58 per 90) when compared with attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe’s top five leagues, according to FBref.
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These numbers highlight his importance to Liverpool’s attack. Within the squad, he has created the joint third-most big chances, averages the second-most key passes at 1.9 per 90, the second-most accurate long balls at 3.2 per 90, and even ranks joint-top for tackles at 1.8 per 90, according to Sofascore.
At just 25 years old, Dominik Szoboszlai appears to be entering his prime. If his development continues at this rate, there is every reason to believe he could improve even further and potentially go down as an all-time legendary midfielder for Liverpool.
By: Sekwila Mumba / Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/s3kwila
Featured Image: @GabFoligno / Adam Pretty / Getty Images