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When Jürgen Klopp named his Liverpool team to face Chelsea on Sunday, those outside the club held their breath. Fabinho’s handover as emergency center led many to question the club’s defensive options.
The Brazilian’s man of the match display at Stamford Bridge silenced those suggestions after just 90 minutes. It’s also worth remembering that the midfielder played at the heart of the defense against Bayern Munich in the Champions League 18 months ago and had a similar performance.
With Joel Matip’s injury history and the need to occasionally give Joe Gomez a break, Fabinho at center back could be a sight we’re used to seeing. Without a doubt, most Premier League teams would love to have a Brazilian-type player on their roster.
Comparisons are sure to be made when Manchester City placed Fernandinho in the bottom four when Pep Guardiola had no options on his defense. Although he only plays a couple of games on paper, Fabinho certainly looks more capable than his compatriot on the other side of the M62.
Fabinho’s clear height advantage and his ability to make calm and accurate tackles also place him in a good position as an option in the bottom four. It’s not very often that a Liverpool defender beats Virgil van Dijk, but the Brazilian did just that on Sunday, which speaks volumes for his versatility and quality.
Take this individual duel with Timo Werner as an example. The speedy forward appears to have scored the goal with a timed run to a pass, with Fabinho running back to try and regain ground.
Eventually he does, and instead of diving in and making a challenge, he simply gets in front of Werner to block the shot and force a rethink from the striker. Suddenly, the defender has the advantage over the forward. This was one of nine defensive duels Fabinho won over the course of 90 minutes.
What happens next is straight out of the textbook for central defense. Not diving in, not being rash, just waiting for the right moment and opportunity and setting foot to strip Werner. Then Fabinho steps in front of Werner and lands a smart free kick. In a word, majestic.
That’s the defensive side of his game, but the advantage of having a midfielder as a central defender is that it brings his passing quality to the back four. Throughout the 90 minutes, Fabinho completed 83 passes with an accuracy rate of 97 percent, more than any player on either side. Of course a lot of these would have been side exchanges with Van Dijk or the midfielders, but against a quality team like Chelsea these kinds of numbers are impressive.
Everyone knows how important Liverpool full-backs are to their style of play. Andy Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold often provide the supply line for the Reds’ attacks, which is why they are often so man-marked by opposition defenses.
Here’s an example with Chelsea’s high pressure preventing Fabinho from making a simple pass to midfield without Jordan Henderson, Naby Keita and Gini Wijnaldum having plenty of room to receive the ball.
What Fabinho does is lay a perfect pass over the top to Robertson on the left flank, which then puts Liverpool on another attack. Faced with an apparently complicated situation, the Brazilian’s ability to dissect the Chelsea press and open the field with more space is further proof that a central midfielder has its advantages.
Liverpool’s list of games is going to be grueling, there’s no question about that. It is this concern that has led to requests for reinforcements to add coverage in the event of injuries during the course of the season.
The departure of Dejan Lovren has left a considerable gap in Liverpool’s defense, with only Van Dijk, Gómez and Matip remaining the only recognized center-backs in the first team squad. Sepp van den Berg is still in the early stages of his career, while excitement about fellow prospect Billy Koumetio has also grown.
Klopp has been impressed with the teenager since the lockdown, and even the 17-year-old’s name reviewed his central defense options for the game against Chelsea. You are clearly held in high regard, but are you ready to be called up for a big Premier League or Champions League match should the need arise? Klopp is more likely to go with Fabinho if only one of Van Dijk, Gomez and Matip is available.
There have been calls for Liverpool to dive into the transfer market and bring in a center-back who is capable of operating as the fourth option, while also possessing the qualities to play for the Reds. If there was such a player available, he would most likely already be at Anfield.
Transfers are not always the answer, Klopp’s management and faith in his players already show it. If Klopp feels that Fabinho is the solution to Liverpool’s central shortage, who are we to argue? Especially after the weekend performance.
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