Liverpool fans will have their hands full when picking out their star man from a 3-0 win over Unai Emery’s Aston Villa.
One might reasonably suspect that Dominik Szoboszlai, after registering his first goal in a competitive game for the Reds, will be the star favoured by most. Likewise, there’s an argument to be made for the likes of Darwin Nunez and Alexis Mac Allister.
It shouldn’t, however, be ignored that Joe Gomez put in a shift of ‘outstanding’ quality when tasked with starting in a different centre-back partnership amid Ibrahima Konate’s injury and Virgil van Dijk’s suspension, rightly earning plaudits from the likes of Keifer MacDonald, Neil Jones and Bence Bocsak online.
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The Englishman put in an assured performance in the backline, amassing some remarkable stats in the process as the Merseysiders kept a clean sheet against the Villans.
READ MORE: Szoboszlai shares cryptic dressing room update over Salah exit rumours
Whilst it would be fair to assume that our colossal No.4 and our French centre-half will be restored to the first-XI after the international break, Gomez will surely have proved a few doubters wrong.
Certainly, it will feel perhaps a little harsh to see the former Charlton Athletic prospect returned to the bench after two strong successive showings at the back.
Would Jurgen Klopp dare leave out Konate, however, at this stage? Particularly given our reliance on his capabilities when playing the box four formation.
You can catch some of the reaction to Joe Gomez’s latest display courtesy of X:
That was Joe Gomez at his outstanding best this afternoon. Calm and controlling in possession, aggressive and commanding without. His best performance in a long time.
He’ll be a huge asset to Liverpool if he can match that level all season.
— Keifer MacDonald (@KeiferMacD) September 3, 2023
Ratings.
Szoboszlai and Gomez stand out amid a very good team performance from Liverpool.#LFC #LIVAVL https://t.co/UaN1UzA0pu
— Neil Jones (@neiljonesgoal) September 3, 2023
📊 Joe Gomez completed a whopping 72 passes in the first half – the most by anyone on the pitch.
On top of that he made 2 interceptions, 5 recoveries and hardly put a foot wrong.
Very solid display. pic.twitter.com/dEsl7XZnEV
— Bence Bocsák (@BenBocsak) September 3, 2023
#Ep88 of The Empire of the Kop Podcast: EOTK Insider with Neil Jones🎙️