This was supposed to be the season Liverpool blitzed the Premier League with their array of attacking talent. The Reds broke the British transfer record to sign Florian Wirtz, before shattering their own record to recruit Alexander Isak. Alongside fellow new signing Hugo Ekitiké, the trio joined Mohamed Salah and Cody Gakpo, supposedly forming a forward line to rival any other in Europe.
However, this is not how the season has transpired. Instead, Liverpool's most productive attacking combination has been Dominik Szoboszlai assisting Virgil van Dijk. This method has produced four goals this season, more than any other, including Sunday's last-gasp stoppage time winner in the Merseyside derby against Everton at Bramley-Moore Dock.
Liverpool goals with Dominik Szoboszlai assisting Virgil van Dijk 2025/26
- 18 September: Liverpool 3-2 Atlético Madrid. 90+2' winner.
- 24 January: Bournemouth 3-2 Liverpool. 45'.
- 28 February: Liverpool 5-2 West Ham United. 24'.
- 19 April. Everton 1-2 Liverpool. 90+10' winner.
A Szoboszlai corner headed home by van Dijk has produced two stoppage-time winners this season, doing so against Atlético Madrid on matchday one of the Champions League in September and, as mentioned, right at the end of Sunday's derby too. This is the only combination to create multiple winning goals for Arne Slot's team, too, a staggering statistic unearthed by Andrew Beasley.
So, what about Liverpool's attackers, what has been their most productive partnership? With Slot seemingly set to stay beyond the summer, who should he want to build around?
Liverpool's attackers assisting each-other
Players | Wirtz assist | Gakpo assist | Salah assist | Isak assist | Ekitiké assist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Wirtz goal | Zero | 1 | Zero | 3 | |
Gakpo goal | 1 | 1 | 2 | ||
Salah goal | 1 | 2 | Zero | Zero | |
Isak goal | 1 | 1 | Zero | Zero | |
Ekitiké goal | 3 | 1 | 2 | Zero |
Of course, these statistics do not include every goal these five attackers have scored this season, only the ones that were assisted by another player on the list.
With that in mind, the most productive of the attacking partnerships has been Wirtz and Ekitiké combining with one another, doing so three times, both resulting in the German and Frenchman scoring. It would appear sensible that Slot would want to make this duo his attacking fulcrum going forward.
However, of course, Ekitiké heartbreakingly suffered a serious ruptured achilles during the defeat against PSG at Anfield. This will see the 23-year-old sidelined for the vast majority of last season, and raises serious question marks about his ability to get back to his best.
Fellow Frenchman Presnel Kimpembe suffered the same injury in February 2023 and was sidelined for 709 days. The injury basically curtailed his career at the top level, making only five appearances for PSG thereafter, now playing in the Qatar Stars League at the age of 30.
We sincerely hope the same fate is not bestowed upon Ekitiké, but he cannot be in the club's short-term plans for the start of next season, so what do Liverpool do?
Well, they do have another centre-forward who cost £125 million, but Isak's tally of three goals this season does not suggest he is ready to step up.
Salah is leaving, and there are question marks about Gakpo's future too, so what the Reds do about their forward options will surely be one of the themes of the summer ahead.
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