[ad_1]
“How good was Joe Gomez?”
On January 5, 2019, that was the voice of many who emptied Anfield after Liverpool beat Everton 1-0 in the FA Cup. Curtis Jones rightly took the applause that night for a spectacular winning goal, but Gomez’s performance, along with Adam Lallana, had everyone agree that the maturity of the defenders was something to behold.
That night, Gomez had four behind for marshall Yasser Larouci, who entered the field early after the injury of James Milner, Nat Phillips and Neco Williams, with the added exception of Adrian in goal. Gomez came out that night as the seasoned boss in a Liverpool defense usually occupied by Virgil van Dijk, so that means seniority is less of an issue for him.
When Liverpool line up for the Community Shield today, both Gomez and Williams will likely occupy the right side of Liverpool’s defense. Without a doubt, they will be the target of Arsenal and Mikel Arteta, of players like Bukayo Saka and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. It will be another test for both players and could somehow determine where both players stand in terms of respected development.
(Image: Getty Images)
Gomez has the opportunity to show that he can be a defender who not only takes care of his own game, but of others when he needs it. And despite the game being downplayed in certain quarters as a glorified friendly or the fact that there will be no fans in the stadium to make it atmospheric, it remains perhaps the most important soccer game of Williams’ career to date.
The youngster recently won a call-up for the Wales national team, something that will have been a source of immense pride for him, but his journey to a place of trust as a substitute for Trent Alexander-Arnold in Liverpool is another story entirely. Jürgen Klopp has seen enough of the youngster to probably give him the thumbs up today, which is a sign enough that he and his fans should be cheered on regardless of whatever performance he makes.
But perhaps the biggest eye should be on Gomez, who along with Fabinho looked more unstable against Red Bull Salzburg in the first half on Tuesday. The defender is still only 23 years old, despite apparently having been with Liverpool for life. That in many ways highlights Gómez’s career, but also the experience that the defender has, despite his youth.
Today we could see the latest development of a career that all Liverpool fans have grown up with. That development will not only be huge for Gomez, but also for the young right-back who will likely line up alongside him.
[ad_2]
