However, ‘Liverpool Reloaded’, as Jurgen Klopp called them, have lost just twice in all competitions to date – and even the first of those was in the most unfortunate and controversial circumstances possible at Tottenham – and are arguably the most entertaining side in the Premier League right now, with the fearsome forward line firing and the overhauled midfield functioning better than most could have hoped for at this embryonic stage.

Truth be told, a Premier League title triumph is probably beyond the second-placed Merseysiders because of their issues at the back, but Liverpool look like they could at least mount a serious challenge, while also having a serious crack at the Europa League, with Klopp’s team having already won their group with a game to spare.

So, who has been key to this Reds revival – and who still needs to join the party? GOAL has rated every Liverpool player’s performance so far to figure out who should be the frontrunners for the club’s Player of the Season award…

Previous update: October 30, 2023.

25Thiago Alcantara (N/A) ⇔

Still the wait goes on. More than seven months have passed since Thiago last made a competitive appearance for Liverpool, with the Spain international suffering one setback after another in his recovery from a hip injury.

The word is now that a midfielder that Klopp recently described as “exceptional” might not be in a position to return to action until the New Year – by which point he’ll be free to discuss terms with other clubs, as the 32-year-old’s contract expires at the end of the season.

24Stefan Bajcetic (3/10) ⇓

Another sad situation. Bajcetic was one of the few bright lights of an otherwise dark 2022-23 season before his campaign was cut short by an adductor problem. The Spanish teenager took far longer than expected to get back to full fitness and then, when he did, he was sidelined by injury again, meaning the No.6 has still only made two appearances this term – both of which came at right-back.

23Luke Chambers (6/10) ⇑

After seeing a minute of action in the Carabao Cup clash with Leicester, the 19-year-old realised a dream by making his first start at Anfield in the Europa League rout of Toulouse. Chambers did well, too, earning praise from fellow academy product Alexander-Arnold for a confident display at left-back.

He also saw game time in the dying stages of the home win over LASK, so with Andy Robertson still out of action, it would not be a surprise to see Chambers get a run-out against West Ham in the League Cup quarter-finals if Klopp decides to rest Kostas Tsimikas.

Images22Ben Doak (6/10) ⇓

After impressing during pre-season and featuring off the bench in the opening-weekend draw at Chelsea, the skilful Scottish winger started against both LASK and Leicester in September. Unfortunately, he picked up a muscular injury while on international duty with Scotland Under-21s and that “cost him a bit of rhythm”, as Klopp put it.

Doak did make his return in the Europa League trip to Toulouse, but he’s not featured since. However, it would be a surprise if he does not equal his appearance tally for last season (five) during a hectic festive schedule for Liverpool.

Images21Caoimhin Kelleher (6/10) ⇓

After being restricted solely to appearances in the cup competitions, Liverpool’s second-choice goalkeeper was handed his first Premier League start of the season against Fulham because of an injury to Alisson. It didn’t go particularly well for the Irishman, who arguably could have done better on two of Fulham’s goals.

Still, Kelleher, who has kept a couple of clean sheets in the Europa League, will get at least a couple more chances to impress potential summer suitors (it feels highly likely that the 25-year-old will want to move on at the end of the season) before Alisson returns towards the end of December.

19Harvey Elliott (6.5/10) ⇑

The versatile attacking midfielder has only started one Premier League game this season – and he was hauled off at half-time on the occasion, after a poor 45 minutes at Brighton. However, Elliott has repeatedly made an impact off the bench with his mix of energy and endeavour – he’s proven particularly adept at winning back possession – while it’s also worth pointing out that he’s played every second of Liverpool’s Europa League campaign, and also been on fire with the England Under-21s. The best is very much yet to come.

18Kostas Tsimikas (6.5/10) ⇑

The Greece international spent the first part of the season playing his usual role as Robertson’s understudy, appearing almost exclusively in cup games. However, the Scot’s shoulder injury has resulted in more Premier League game time for Tsimikas, who has done a decent job so far filling in for one of the game’s best left-backs.

He’s still not entirely convincing from a defensive perspective – he dropped an absolute clanger in the shock loss in Toulouse – but he’s showcased his attacking capabilities with three assists in his last three Premier League outings.

17Ibrahima Konate (6/10) ⇑

The frustrating Frenchman looked perfectly placed to finally lock down a regular starting spot alongside Virgil van Dijk until injury once again intervened, thus allowing Joel Matip to move back ahead of him in the pecking order.

Konate was recalled for the Merseyside Derby and started three Premier League games in a row before being once again relegated to the bench. However, Matip’s injury means another chance for the inconsistent Konate to stake a claim for an extended run in the team.

16Joel Matip (6.5/10) ⇓

The veteran centre-back obviously has his flaws: he’s not very quick, he doesn’t use the ball as well as Van Dijk or Konate, and his own goal at Spurs cost Liverpool a deserved point (even if the real culprit was VAR!). However, as the stats underline, he’s served Klopp well whenever he’s played, proving typically dominant in the area and recovering possession regularly.

Unfortunately, he’s now facing a significant spell on the sidelines after sustaining a knee injury in the win over Fulham.

15Joe Gomez (7/10) ⇓

The versatile defender has done quite well when called upon. He’s been good in the air and won plenty of tackles, while Gomez has also contributed a couple of assists. His problem, though, is that Klopp no longer appears to think him good enough to start regularly alongside Van Dijk, while he’ll never be anything other than Trent Alexander-Arnold’s understudy at right-back.

Even if the latter is eventually moved into the middle, it still feels unlikely that Gomez will be the long-term beneficiary. This season could be the 26-year-old’s last at Liverpool – but he could have an important role to play.

Images14Wataru Endo (7/10) ⇑

Quite the baptism of fire for the Japan international, who saw Liverpool reduced to 10 men in the first two games of his Anfield career. He’s not been outstanding – there are some concerns over his pace – but he’s acquitted himself well, most notably in the 5-1 rout of Toulouse, in which he netted his first goal for the Reds, while his wonderfully-executed curler against Fulham was as impressive as it was crucial.

Whether he can lock down a starting spot remains to be seen, given the intense competition for places in midfield, but he’s impressed everyone with his professionalism and he could well come into his own the longer the season goes on.

Images13Cody Gakpo (7/10) ⇓

Injury interrupted the Dutchman’s campaign just as he was starting to heat up and Darwin Nunez really stepped up in his absence to make the central attacking berth his own. However, Gakpo might just be about to catch fire again, if his classy double in last week’s Europa League win over LASK is anything to go by.

The versatile forward, who also made his presence felt after coming off the bench against Fulham, should also get more opportunities in the coming weeks with Diogo Jota facing a little spell on the sidelines.

12Andy Robertson (7.5/10) ⇓

Such a shame that the Scot suffered a serious shoulder injury while on international duty, as Robertson had been looking back to his very best. One of Liverpool’s leaders was winning tackles and creating chances, while he also effectively earned his side three points with his wonderfully taken late goal in the 3-1 win at Wolves.

Given Tsimikas is nowhere near as complete a full-back, Klopp will want Robertson back as quickly as possible.

11Jarell Quansah (7.5/10) ⇓

The biggest beneficiary of Liverpool’s lack of depth in the centre of defence, the 20-year-old – who had never played a minute of senior football before the start of the season – has seen far more game time than anyone could have expected (10 appearances and six starts in all competitions).

Quansah has not only taken care of all of his defensive duties with aplomb, he’s also looked incredibly composed on the ball. No wonder, then, that Klopp is now arguing that the versatile centre-back’s emergence has vindicated the club’s decision not to sign another defender during the summer.

Images10Ryan Gravenberch (7.5/10) ⇑

The Dutchman has a tendency to drift out of games that he starts, but it’s clear that the Ajax academy graduate is enjoying his football again after a torrid time at Bayern Munich. Gravenberch has already been directly involved in four goals in all competitions while he made a massive impact after coming off the bench against Manchester City, with his confidence in possession and ability to beat a man playing a key role in Liverpool’s equaliser. The 21-year-old is not yet a certain starter, but his potential is obvious.

9Luis Diaz (7.5/10) ⇓

The winger’s late leveller at Luton didn’t just secure a precious point for Liverpool, it also provided us with one of the most moving moments of the season, as Diaz dedicated his goal to his father, who, at the time, was still being held captive by kidnappers in Colombia.

Thankfully, the Diaz family nightmare is now over and the 26-year-old’s dad was even in attendance at the Etihad for the Man City game to see his son help Liverpool equalise in the closing stages. Expect the Reds’ incredibly industrious dribble-king to get back to his brilliant best in the coming weeks.

Images8Diogo Jota (7.5/10) ⇑

Liverpool losing their second-top scorer to injury in the run-up to Christmas is a major concern for Klopp, who is not yet sure how long the Portuguese will be sidelined. What’s certain is that Jota will be missed.

Aside from Mohamed Salah, he’s the Reds’ best finisher, a versatile player blessed with predatory instincts who’s surprisingly strong in the air. Jota was also in good form before the injury, with half of his eight goals so far this season coming in his previous seven appearances in all competitions.

7Darwin Nunez (8/10) ⇑

The unpredictable Uruguayan continues to frustrate with his erratic finishing, but he is also able to carry a constant attacking threat on account of his pace and energy. Indeed, after starting the first three Premier League games of the season on the bench, Nunez has established himself as Klopp’s first-choice centre-forward thanks to seven goals and five assists.

His partnership with Salah is proving particularly productive and if Liverpool’s ‘Captain Chaos’ could just be a little calmer in front of goal, he could post some serious numbers this season.

6Alexis Mac Allister (8/10) ⇑

Defensive midfield might not be the Argentine’s best position, but Mac Allister is undeniably growing into the role, as underlined by the fact that he ranks second at Liverpool for tackles won, duels won and interceptions, while he ranks third for possession won.

The benefits of having such a technically-gifted and offensively-minded player operating in a deeper role were also obvious against Fulham, with Mac Allister scoring his first goal for the club with a stunning strike from distance.

5Alisson Becker (8/10) ⇑

It’s not been a good couple of weeks for Alisson, who gifted Manchester City a goal in the game at the Etihad before suffering an injury that’s set to keep him out for at least a couple of weeks.

With all due respect to Kelleher, Klopp will be praying for a rapid return to action for his No.1, who had kept clean sheets in three of his previous five Premier League games before hurting his hamstring, and also proved integral to one of Liverpool’s best results of the season, a 2-1 win at Newcastle with just 10 men, with a stunning stop from Miguel Almiron’s close-range volley.

Images4Dominik Szoboszlai (8.5/10) ⇓

The Hungary captain, who joined from RB Leipzig during the summer for £60 million ($76m), has shown some signs of fatigue in recent games, which is wholly understandable after such a barnstorming start to the season.

However, Szoboszlai has still won possession more than any other Liverpool player (106 times, to be precise), he ranks second for passes completed (809), while only Salah has created more chances than the all-action midfielder (32). If the 23-year-old can recover from this little dip, Szoboszlai should end up proving one of the signings of the season.

3Virgil van Dijk (8.5/10) ⇑

After an undeniably poor start to the Dutchman’s reign as club captain, with Van Dijk getting himself sent off for the clumsiest of challenges against Newcastle before then talking himself into further trouble, the 32-year-old is really starting to look something like his old, commanding self again.

And that’s just as well from Klopp’s perspective, given nobody is really impressing alongside Van Dijk, who has made more interceptions, clearances and successful passes this season than any of his team-mates. Liverpool’s dodgy defence would be a complete shambles without their giant centre-back.

2Trent Alexander-Arnold (8.5/10) ⇑

Liverpool’s local hero has his critics in England. He probably always will. But he’s once again proving himself an exceptional talent, drawing comparisons to Kevin De Bruyne from the likes of Gary Neville because of what he can do with the ball.

It’s certainly easy to understand why Klopp affords Alexander-Arnold such freedom – or even just puts him in midfield – when you see him picking up points for his team with sensational strikes, as he did at Manchester City and then again at home to Fulham.

Alexander-Arnold had a shocker against Newcastle earlier in the season before then being sidelined by a minor injury – but he’s stepped up to the mark big time over the past month or so, fully vindicating Klopp’s decision to make him vice-captain.

Images1Mohamed Salah (9/10) ⇑

It’s fair to say Liverpool did the right thing turning down a £150m ($190m) offer from Saudi Arabia for their Egyptian king. Salah has been sensational this season, producing the kind of decisive performances that could well sustain a title challenge.

He’s already racked up 13 goals, and even when he draws a blank, he still manages to influence the game, as underlined by his assists for the equalisers against both City and Fulham. In this form, Salah isn’t just a leading contender to be Liverpool’s player of the season, he could also end up winning the Premier League award too.