One Sky Sports reporter has claimed that Jurgen Klopp ‘sprung a surprise’ within Liverpool’s starting line-up for the FA Cup clash against Southampton tonight.
A combination of an extensive injury list and a 120-minute Carabao Cup final just three days ago have led to a rather unorthodox XI for the Reds, with several academy youngsters given a rare opportunity to start.
However, perhaps the standout feature from the starting team only became apparent once the match got underway.
As noted by Vinny O’Connor on Sky Sports’ live web commentary (20:13): “Jurgen Klopp has sprung a surprise on us with Joe Gomez lining up in the heart of midfield. At the moment though, Liverpool are looking susceptible to the counterattack.”
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Gomez is one of Liverpool’s most versatile players, frequently alternating between both full-back positions and a central defensive role for the Reds.
However, it is indeed a fresh take by Klopp to start the 26-year-old as a number six tonight, with the Londoner having never played in midfield before this game, according to Transfermarkt.
It’s a strong indicator of how depleted we are for the FA Cup clash that the manager would try out such an experiment, although the circumstances make it understandable why this fixture would be chosen for such ploys.
We’ve already seen Trent Alexander-Arnold take successfully to playing in midfield after making his name as a full-back, so it’ll be intriguing to see how Gomez fares with a similar transformation, even if it’s only to be for one match.