What stands out immediately is Guehi’s tactical versatility and his on-ball quality.
He is a player who has shown a proficiency for passing and dribbling off both feet and is a strong carrier of the ball, pushing past nearby attackers and establishing territory higher up the pitch.
His quality isn’t limited to one area either.
Although he has primarily been deployed as a left centre-back in a back three for Crystal Palace by head coach Oliver Glasner, he often finds himself in the middle of the defence, particularly on the ball.
This versatility across the back line has been notable in his cameos for England too, with Guehi impressively showcasing his quality in a back four.
Given Virgil van Dijk’s age, Gomez’s injury record and the departure of Jarell Quansah, the introduction of a player of Guehi’s quality who can play on both sides would be seen as a huge plus for Liverpool.
Now let’s consider Crystal Palace’s five-at-the-back, counter-attacking system to Liverpool’s high-possession, four-at-the-back.
Glasner has cleverly set up his centre-backs in a way that allows them to get on the ball facing forwards under less pressure, which has given Guehi the time and space to showcase his on-ball quality.
Amid this, his passing quality has stood out in spite of the reduced possession.
For most ball-dominant teams, this time and space isn’t always afforded to the centre-backs. Liverpool are an exception here and their use of Van Dijk and Wataru Endo in pre-season provides clues how Liverpool can use Guehi in a similarly effective manner.
