Why Liverpool fans will see a very different Adam Lallana for Brighton that Pep Guardiola has enthused about
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He’s a player who was synonymous with Jurgen Klopp’s early years at Anfield.
A player whose role will never go underestimated by the Liverpool boss nor supporters.
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Hide AdAdam Lallana was an essential cog in Klopp’s Reds revolution.
Embodiment of Klopp’s demands
From beaten Carabao Cup and Europa League finalist in the German’s first season, their time working together would culminate in the Premier League title being hoisted aloft.
From Klopp’s arrival in October 2015, Lallana immediately embodied every demand that the new chief was looking for.
He pressed with the utmost intensity. In fact, Lallana was the leader of when to squeeze the opposition.
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Hide AdOnce he made his move in an attacking-midfield role, others knew to follow.
As Klopp’s transformation started to rage, with Lallana at the nucleus, it’d convince others to sign up. Sadio Mane, Mo Salah, Virgil van Dijk, Alisson and Fabinho were all recruited and all have catapulted Liverpool back among the European elite.
Bringing such quality players to Liverpool was partly why Lallana left after the Premier League was yielded. In many ways, he was a victim of his and the Reds' success.
Injuries were a big reason why he departed, too.
Lallana was a quality performer but in his final three seasons, he managed just 53 appearances.
New role
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Hide AdIt was Brighton who snapped up the former England international on a free transfer in the summer of 2020.
Lallana played in both games against Liverpool last season, with his return to Anfield ending in a 1-0 victory for the Seagulls.
However, this time when he faces his old club, Kopites will be back in the stands.
They’ll also see a different Lallana to the one they were used to.
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Hide AdGraham Potter has deployed Lallana in a holding-midfield role this season, which has proved highly fruitful. Brighton are fifth in the table and plenty are starting to tip them for a European finish.
We can see on the heatmaps below configured by Wyscout how Lallana's role has changed.
The area that he takes up most for Brighton is inside his own half, mainly around the edge of the centre circle.
In his final season at Liverpool, he did take up those positions but got into the opponent’s territory more frequently.
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Hide AdAnd in Klopp’s first season, Lallan’s heatmap underlines how he pressed from the front. It was in the right-hand channel where he cropped up aplenty.
That’s a stat
The stats also back up how Lallana has become a different player to what Liverpool fans once knew.
As per FBref.com, the former Southampton midfielder averaged 1.79 shots per game for the Reds. For Brighton, that figure is much lower at 1.05 and the fact he’s netted just once in 40 appearances underlines he no longer has the same goal threat.
Moreover, the 33-year-old has already had 162 touches in the defensive third and 23 in his own penalty box after just eight games this season.
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Hide AdIn 2019-20, he totalled 52 and seven in the same respective categories.
In terms of tackles in the defensive third, Lallana's already made seven.
He managed a tally of nine in his final campaign on Merseyside.
Lallana’s become Brighton’s conductor from a deep-lying role, using his creativity to start attacking moves.
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Hide AdEven after their 4-1 loss to Manchester City last week, Pep Guardiola couldn’t hide his admiration.
“You know who the Brighton holding midfielder is?” enthused Guardiola.
“It’s Lallana, Adam Lallana. And that causes problems for teams. Brighton build from Lallana. He can go left and right and start attacks, very good, very good.”
Lallana provides the outball for a Brighton side that have gone from the xG kings who were persistent relegation contenders to fifth in the table.
Klopp spoke about the admiration he still has for Lallana heading into the clash.
And he’ll know if he can stop his former troop will be fundamental to Liverpool picking up a victory.