Speaking on BBC’s Match of the Day 2 (20/09/2020 10:30pm), ex-Liverpool man Danny Murphy showered Thiago with praise following the Reds’ win over Chelsea.
The 39-capped Spain international only signed for the Premier League champions on Friday, before making his debut just two days later.
He appeared off the bench at Stamford Bridge, completing a Premier League record 75 passes for a 45-minute spell in a very tidy cameo.
That was measured by Opta, who began recording this passing data in the 2003/04 campaign.
Speaking on Match of the Day following Liverpool’s 2-0 win, Murphy said: ‘He’s the nearest thing to Xavi. His awareness, and his quickness of passing and variation of passes is going to add more quality to that Liverpool midfield.’
It is hard to disagree with the former Liverpool midfielder.
Xavi was a legend of the game who paved the way for a certain type of diminutive midfielder, who needed to use their brain and technique to outweigh their lack of physicality.
Thiago is exactly that. He is simply an orchestrator who thrives on keeping the game ticking over with his side staying in firm control for as long as possible.
To break a Premier League record in his first 45 minutes of action speaks volumes.
He is an extremely confident midfielder who, even when he had released the ball, could be seen running into space and ordering it back against the Blues.
For Murphy to compare Liverpool’s new £20 million signing to the 2010 World Cup winner speaks volumes, although it is not undeserved praise for Thiago by any means.
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