Former Premier League player Danny Higginbotham has offered his thoughts on Liverpool’s Xherdan Shaqiri.
Sky Sports pundit Danny Higginbotham believes high-flying Liverpool man Xherdan Shaqiri is “not as tightly marked” by opponents because there is ‘extra importance’ on the club’s front three.
The 27-year-old produced a stunning cameo performance from the bench last Sunday when he netted a brace during the 3-1 win against Manchester United.
It was Shaqiri’s third goal in two Premier League matches as the three points helped Jurgen Klopp’s men reclaim top spot ahead of Manchester City.
Former Stoke defender Higginbotham praised the influence Shaqiri is having on Liverpool’s title-chasing side as he believes the presence of Mo Salah, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino is helping him.
“The biggest compliment I can give him is that he is knocking on the door of the starting XI,” Higginbotham told Sky Sports News on 20/12/2018 at 10:35 am.
“What he does is, I think he actually benefits because you have got Salah, Mane and Firmino. They actually take extra importance, extra significance because of what they have done for Liverpool. So once Shaqiri is playing, I am not saying he gets forgotten about but he’s probably not as tightly marked as the other three players.”
Switzerland international Shaqiri moved to Anfield during the summer following Stoke City’s relegation to the Championship.
During the first half of the Premier League campaign, he has played 17 games in all competitions, netting five goals in the process and producing three assists.
Shaqiri and his teammates will now be preparing for a tough away clash at Wolves on Friday night as they have the chance to extend their lead at the top of the table to four points – Manchester City can close that gap once again if they beat Crystal Palace on home soil at the weekend.
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