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On Sunday, May 22, Liverpool’s quadruple aspirations officially took their last breath. Courtesy of Manchester City’s excellent 3-2 comeback win over Aston Villa, the Premier League title remains at the Etihad Stadium.
The Reds, who were excellent from start to finish in the 2021-22 Premier League campaign, can take pride in their fighting spirit. Had it not been for their relentless brilliance, City would have been home and dry with several games in hand.
The Merseyside giants' hopes of winning their first-ever treble and quadruple may have been extinguished, but their heroics in the Premier League are bound to live on. From excellent last-ditch defending to eye-popping matchwinning strikes, Liverpool players have done it all this season.
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Today, we will make a top-five list to honor the Reds stars who have shone the brightest in the recently concluded Premier League campaign.
Now, without further ado, let us check out the top five Liverpool players who performed superbly in the 2021-22 English top-flight season.
#5 Diogo Jota
Portuguese star Diogo Jota did not enjoy the best of campaigns in 2020-21, scoring only nine times in the Premier League. The onus was on him to turn his fortunes around and emerge as a more direct alternative to Roberto Firmino this season.
Yes, he could not quite end the season on a high (0 goals in last seven matches), but his overall campaign was indeed a success.
Jota made full use of his top-drawer off-the-ball movement to keep the opposition defenders on their toes. He also worked on his link-up play and pressing ability to become a more valuable member of Jurgen Klopp’s well-drilled unit.
The 25-year-old ultimately ended the season with 15 goals and six assists, emerging as Liverpool’s third-leading scorer in the 2021-22 Premier League campaign.
#4 Virgil van Dijk
Virgil van Dijk is arguably the best centre-back in the world right now. He is deceptively quick, is an excellent reader of the game, and, most importantly, does not like to take unnecessary risks.
Unlike many of his peers who love to live on the edge, Van Dijk takes pride in staying safe and Liverpool are definitely better off for it.
Having missed the majority of last season due to an ACL injury, Van Dijk needed to win back his confidence in the 2021-22 campaign. Given the way he has performed, we can safely say that he has been successful in his endeavors.
In the Premier League, the Dutchman made 16 tackles with 63 percent success rate, registered 204 recoveries, blocked six shots, made 31 interceptions, and completed 107 clearances..
Defensive excellence aside, he also scored three thumping goals in the English top flight.
#3 Sadio Mane
Liverpool have an abundance of talented footballers at their disposal, but none can hold a candle to Sadio Mane when it comes to persistence. The Senegalese star chases after every ball, does not surrender an inch of land, and never seems to run out of steam.
In the 2021-22 Premier League season, Mane was once again at his selfless best, doing all he could to help his team.
Before Luis Diaz’s arrival from Porto in January, Mane primarily held the left-wing position, but the Colombian’s love for the same flank compelled Mane to move around.
He has operated down the middle in recent weeks and has proven to be a natural in that position as well.
Overall, the former Southampton man took part in 34 Premier League matches in the 2021-22 campaign, scoring 16 times. Mane’s tally saw him end the season as the league’s fifth-highest scorer, only a goal shy of Tottenham Hotspur’s Harry Kane.
He also had four assists to his name.
#2 Trent Alexander-Arnold
Since being promoted to the senior team in 2016, academy graduate Trent Alexander-Arnold has been on an upward trajectory.
The right-back is an excellent dribbler, packs an abundance of pace, is solid at the back, and produces assists on cue. Alexander-Arnold is one of the best full-backs in the world right now and we can only see him get better.
The 23-year-old was consistent in the 2021-22 Premier League campaign, but he arguably hit his peak in the first half, between matchday nine and 13.
The Englishman provided five assists in that stretch, including a brace in a 4-0 win over Arsenal.
Alexander-Arnold registered 12 assists and two goals in the 2021-22 Premier League season, capping off the campaign as the league’s second-highest assist maker.
#1 Mohamed Salah
Any football fan worth their salt must be aware of the shift Mohamed Salah has put in this season. The Liverpool No. 11 has been excellent with the ball at his feet, impressed with his hold-up play, and, of course, has scored for fun.
Salah started the 2021-22 Premier League season in blistering fashion. The Egypt international registered a goal and two assists in a 3-0 win over Norwich City on matchday one.
He drew a blank in the next outing against Burnley, but then went on a scoring spree. Between matchday three and nine, he scored nine goals, including a hat-trick against Manchester United.
He ultimately ended the campaign with 23 goals, emerging as the league's joint-top scorer alongside Tottenham’s Heung-min Son.
The 29-year-old forward also finished as the Premier League's highest assist-provider, bagging 13 assists in 35 appearances.
