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#3 Alexander-Arnold and Robertson back to their best
Liverpool's defense faced a plethora of issues last season. Three of their most prominent centre-backs, Virgil van Dijk, Joel Matip and Joe Gomez, were all injured for a big chunk of the campaign. Not only did this affect the defense, but it also restricted the creativity of their full-backs.
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Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andrew Robertson could not attack with the same intent as they had to offer more protection to the inexperienced centre-backs. The duo have been up there with the very best in terms of chance creation and assists over the last four seasons. However, they only registered seven assists each in the previous campaign.
With a solid centre-back partnership to trust, the full-backs have been flying over the last few months. Alexander-Arnold has assisted ten times in the Premier League this term, joint-highest with Salah, while Robertson is on nine assists. Liverpool players once again hold the top three positions in terms of assists.
#2 An almost injury-free squad
Liverpool's injury struggles during the 2020-21 campaign have been well documented. The lack of quality centre-backs had a domino effect on the team, with the likes of Fabinho and Jordan Henderson having to put in a shift at the heart of the defense.
Aside from affecting the defense, this also meant the Reds' chance creation and possession play took a hit for the worse. Liverpool haven't had nearly as many injury woes this season. Only Harvey Elliot, Roberto Firmino and Thiago Alcantara have been significant absentees, with Elliot already back to full fitness.
However, the side are well-equipped to play at a high level without the services of these players. The Merseyside Reds had a near-perfect January without Mane, Salah and Keita. This shows how their strength in depth has proliferated over the last 12 months.
#1 Virgil van Dijk back in defence
Virgil van Dijk is widely regarded as the best centre-back in world football. The Dutchman would walk into any side in Europe and will be dearly missed if he doesn't feature. Liverpool gained first-hand experience of that as they spent almost the entire 2020-21 season without van Dijk.
The defender suffered a long-term injury against Everton during a league fixture in 2020. In his absence, the then-Premier League champions' defensive unit went for a toss. Liverpool conceded 42 goals last term, nine more than what they shipped in during their league title-winning 2019-20 campaign.
Having let in just 20 goals in 26 games this time around, it is safe to say that their defense is back in form.
Since his return from the sidelines, the Dutch centre-back has been a mainstay in their backline. Be it Joel Matip or Ibrahima Konate alongside him, van Dijk has ensured that the Reds' centre-back pairing is potent enough to keep any side at bay. His presence in their backline has been crucial to their success this season.
