View: 63% Fabio Carvalho could be key to Liverpool title push this season
Liverpool are one of the few Premier League teams that have made little to no changes to their squad since the transfer window opened.
The Reds finished in a respectable third place last term but will no doubt want to compete for the Premier League title this season.
Whilst the club were still in the mix towards the latter end of last season, during the last month of the campaign, the team were failing to convert their chances.
The likes of Mohammed Salah and Darwin Nunez found themselves under heavy fire and seemed to lose their way somewhat.
However, now that Fabio Carvalho has returned from a season on loan, he could be the answer that the Reds have been looking for.
Especially since their main targets in this transfer window have been in attack [The Athletic, 2 August].
Fabio Carvalho v Arsenal in numbers
During their pre-season tour, Liverpool faced fellow Premier League side, Arsenal.
The two teams collided in their most recent pre-season game in a tie which ended up going in Liverpool’s favour with a 2-1 win.
Whilst this may not seem all that significant, the fact that Carvalho found himself on the scoresheet shows how far he has progressed whilst being out on loan.
As per Sofascore, the former Fulham starlet started the tie and was replaced in the 72nd minute for youth prospect, Harvey Blair.
During his time on the pitch, Carvalho managed to chip in with a goal with his only shot of the game which shows his clinical nature.
Attacking-wise, he successfully completed 50 per cent of his dribbles and managed a total of 21 touches.
In terms of passing, 63 per cent of those attempted were accurate with one of which coming as a long ball.
Although he was deployed on the left wing, the former Fulham man also did his part defensively, which is shown by his heatmap during the game.
He won four of the nine ground duels he attempted and only made three fouls throughout the clash. Carvalho also cleared the ball twice and even managed to block one of the Gunners’ shots.
And, it now feels as if the attacker has found his feet once again and could provide Slot with yet another attacking option and perhaps even help the club with their finishing problems.
Liverpool need to keep Fabio Carvalho at Anfield
Although Carvalho’s first term in a Liverpool shirt two seasons ago wasn’t anything to write home about, after spending the entire 2023/24 campaign away from Merseyside, he now has some solid experience under his belt.
The attacker spent the first half of the season in the Bundesliga with RB Leipzig, and, whilst this move didn’t exactly work out with the Portugal youth international being recalled in January, it was when he got his move to Hull that his talent really shined.
The attacker played 20 times for the Tigers last term and managed to involve himself with 11 goals and helped boost the club in their bid for the playoffs.
His efforts fell just short as the Yorkshire-based club finished in seventh place, just three points behind Norwich City.
There’s no denying, however, that his time with Liam Rosenior’s side, whilst it may have been short was beneficial for the club.
He may not get called up to the first team straight away but should this form continue, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him included in the first-team fold as the season goes on.
One thing is for sure, he definitely took his chance to impress Slot [The Mirror, 28 June] with both hands and gave him something of a selection headache ahead of the start of the Premier League season.
In other Liverpool news, Jarell Quansah shows why he has to start after his latest Liverpool display.
For more Liverpool news, follow us on Facebook or join our brand new WhatsApp Channel for instant updates to be sent straight to your phone.