Liverpool’s season has been a struggle when it comes to keeping players healthy. To say it’s been a challenge, even, is downplaying it. At various points, Liverpool have had to use what would account to third-choice players at left-back, center-back, and center forward. In fact, at right-back, Liverpool have technically gone to fourth-choice by playing midfielders Dominik Szoboszlai and Curtis Jones in that position at different times this season.
Currently, Liverpool’s keeper is third choice Freddie
Woodman given that both Alisson Becker and Giorgi Mamardashvili are both currently unavailable. And since Woodman’s introduction approximately half-way through the Everton match, the former Preston End netminder has basically played things pitch-perfect.
In this match, with the game very much in the balance as Liverpool had only just notched the opening goal minutes before, Woodman dropped down and saved a header from Jean-Philippe Mateta that was in the vicinity of the six-yard box. It was a vital stop but it also provided the catalyst for the second goal as the Reds turned on the rebound from that save and went straight up the pitch to score.
Slot was understandably asked about it during his post-match press conference and the gaffer was firm on this importance of Woodman’s heroics in that moment:
“[Being delighted about Woodman’s performance is] an understatement. I think I’ve sat here many times telling you guys that we’ve created a lot of good chances and then the first one of the other team went in. Now, I cannot say that today, because they’ve had enough good chances and enough moments that they were really close. But I think the moment of the game was, of course, the lead-up to our 2-0 where Freddie made a big save. Otherwise it would have been 1-1. And 10 seconds later it’s 2-0. These are the current margins in the Premier League and today they were on our side and so many times they have been not on our side.”
Slot’s point on the margins in the Premier League are telling. This isn’t meant to turn the heat down on how the coaching staff has mostly lumbered from problem to problem without necessarily figuring out lasting solutions, but the razor thin margin is something I’ve been thinking about a lot lately.
When you consider the steps down from Ali to Mama to Woodman, you wouldn’t be faulted for thinking the gap would be great. But the saves we saw Woodman make to preserve the lead throughout the match were quite good. In fact, Slot’s right to allude in the quote that Palace was much closer in quality than the 3-1 scoreline suggested. Which means that the margin of victory here were world class moments from Alexander Isak, Andrew Robertson, and Florian Wirtz on the attacking end, and a Herculean performance by Freddie Woodman on the defensive end.
Liverpool will likely need more performances like this from Woodman and, when he finally returns, Mamardashvili in order to take max points in the remaining four matches. But what we can at least say know is that it’s entirely possible that Woodman can be the kind of shot stopper to bring the Reds into a more secure place in the league table. Which is important as no timeline currently exists for the returns of the first and second choice keepers.
