Dominik Szoboszlai has come in for criticism after Liverpool’s 1-0 defeat at home to Arsenal, with some not sure whether he brings control to the team.

The Reds were beaten frustratingly in the Premier League on Sunday afternoon, with head coach Andoni Iraola assessing his side’s loss after the game:

“Overall, I think we have to blame especially the start of the game and until we conceded the goal. I think the start hasn’t been at the level of the game. But from that 1-0, I think it’s [after] 15 or 16 minutes, I’ve loved the reaction of the team. Even in the first half, I think we reacted really well and put Arsenal under big pressure.

“I think we’ve done enough to score but obviously we haven’t. But we had the crossbar [hit by Florian Wirtz], we had the header of [Alexis] Mac Allister that, for me, is a very clear chance.

“I think we had a clear penalty also for us and I think we’ve had a lot of situations inside the box – not even around the box, inside the box – that definitely we haven’t finished properly. “

Szoboszlai was introduced for Trey Nyoni in the second half, but Liverpool struggled from that point on, and the Hungarian didn’t have much of an impact on the game.

Writing on X, Matt Thielen claimed that the Reds’ No.8 is arguably becoming a problem, in terms of what he brings to the team, rather than his undoubted quality:

“Szoboszlai is a fantastic individual player. Unsure if he’s as good of a team player.”

Liverpool have a Dominik Szoboszlai-shaped issue

As mentioned, Szoboszlai’s ability is undeniable, with the midfielder renowned for scoring some sensational goals during his time as a Liverpool player.

In Iraola’s 4-2-3-1 system, however, he is becoming a problem, not bringing anywhere near enough defensive quality to be a success in the double pivot.

If he plays in the No.10 role, it means taking Florian Wirtz’s place, with the German not as physical and box-to-box as Szoboszlai, but more tactically astute.

To some, dropping Szoboszlai would be madness, but he isn’t bringing balance to the Liverpool side currently, which is far more important than how talented an individual he is.

There is plenty to like about him, of course, but he is a flawed footballer.