Endo has seized the chance to establish his reliability at the core of Liverpool’s midfield.
The 30-year-old, who impressed in lieu of the injured Alexis Mac Allister, has started the previous five Premier League games.
Endo, who is agile enough to move across the pitch both with and without the ball, neat and tidy in possession, and quick in the tackle, will be crucial when Newcastle United comes to Anfield on Monday night.
Supplying Trent with cover
The ability of Trent Alexander-Arnold to pass from central areas has grown in importance for Liverpool’s offensive strategy.
He will keep drifting inside when the Reds have the ball since they would not generate as many opportunities without his precise long passes and through-balls.
Endo does an amazing job filling in any gaps left by Alexander-Arnold.
Since the other two Liverpool midfield players are frequently pushed high, it is evident how fast Endo can come across to provide defensive cover on the right side when movements go wrong.
His recent work has been outlined in this defensive chalkboard from his matchup versus Burnley.
His awareness and game intelligence are exceptional due to his expertise as a performer.
Imposing changes
Endo may be more aggressive when necessary, but his greatest work is usually done at the base of midfield where he recovers lost balls and recycles possession with effectiveness.
This was demonstrated twice during the 1-1 draw with Arsenal, when he caused errors that gave his teammates at Liverpool half-chances.
For instance, the Japanese player sensed danger, dashed quickly to his left, and made a great challenge on Bukayo Saka, who was moving into his own half with the ball at his feet while Virgil van Dijk was in a forward position.
Luis Diaz sprinted down the left after Endo’s challenge and had an angle shot.
Endo was always eager to play ten yards higher in order to interact with Arsenal’s players during Liverpool’s incredible second-half pressing display in that match.
The tone was set when he executed a perfectly timed tackle on Martin Odegaard, who was penalised for clinging to the ball too long.
Mohamed Salah’s effort on goal brought the turnover to an end as the loose ball found its way to a teammate.
Endo is a skilled enough player to shut down Newcastle’s players and take the ball if they do not change their passes quickly enough.
Perfect for the position
Despite not being very good at winning balls or distributing them, Endo is nonetheless ideally suited for the role that Jurgen Klopp needs him to play, according to his performance data.
In order to create a 3-2-2-3 formation when in possession, Klopp needs a shrewd player at the base of midfield who can sit and direct passes or pick them up. This player would be Curtis Jones and Dominik Szoboszlai.
Endo takes pleasure in this and has a powerful enough engine to guarantee that the unit is also athletic enough.
Even if he doesn’t have the same youthful legs as Jones or Harvey Elliott, the former Stuttgart midfielder still moves a lot—averaging 12.17 km in 90 minutes.
When Endo is on the pitch of play, he walks around at a respectable pace as well, averaging 6.91 km/h, a record only surpassed by Jones.
Dependable pair of hands
Despite having a difficult start, Endo is finally proving his worth to the team. In the summer, he was a rather low-key addition.
Liverpool has allowed just eight shots on goal in the last five games, all of which he has started; in three of those games, they have allowed one or fewer.
In contrast, Liverpool gave up more than 4.07 shots on goal per game against them in their first 14 meetings.
For the Reds, Endo’s defensive dependability, decision-making, and game management have been invaluable.
