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Virgil van Dijk’s serious knee injury last month caused great alarm among many Liverpool fans. The fact that the Dutchman was out for most of the season was enough to raise questions about whether the Reds could replicate their success of recent years. However, while Van Dijk is clearly among the best in the world at his position, Liverpool’s defense has held up reasonably well without him.
In the five games since his absence was confirmed, the Reds have conceded just two goals, one of which was from the penalty spot. That’s impressive, especially since Joël Matip is also out. Fabinho, often used as a substitute in the central half, has also missed Liverpool’s last two games.
That forced Jürgen Klopp to rethink more, with Nat Phillips deployed in the center of defense against West Ham United. The young man was excellent on Saturday and deservedly won the Man of the Match award.
“The story behind him makes it even more incredible,” Klopp told reporters after that match, quoted by the Echo . “I’m very happy for him, he deserves it more than anyone. He was vocal on the field and spoke very well, did the challenges, was there and was aggressive. Maybe he committed a foul and played a very good game. ”
Tuesday’s win over Atalanta was hugely impressive and naturally the headlines were stolen by the attack. Diogo Jota scored a hat-trick as the Reds scored five devastating goals against last season’s Champions League quarterfinals. However, equally significant was the fact that Klopp’s team kept a clean sheet against one of the most dangerous attacks in world football.
Atalanta scored 98 goals in Serie A last season, more than any other team in the division for six decades, and scored eight in two games against Valencia in the knockout stages of the Champions League. They also scored six in their first two rounds of group stage games this year, showing how well the Reds did to knock them out on Tuesday.
Joining Joe Gomez at the heart of the defense, his fifth teammate of the season, after Van Dijk, Matip, Fabinho and Phillips, was Rhys Williams, a highly skilled 19-year-old who has yet to make his Premier League debut. Williams had only started two games for Liverpool’s senior team previously, so he didn’t exactly have the highest level of experience.
Of course, Williams wasn’t the only defensive starter to go through the club’s youth system. Winger Trent Alexander-Arnold is perhaps the most talented academy graduate since Steven Gerrard and has quickly become one of the best right backs in world football.
Elsewhere in the last four, Gomez cost just £ 3.5 million from Charlton Athletic and left-back Andy Robertson was signed from Hull City for £ 8 million. In all, it was an initial bottom line that cost the club a meager £ 11.5 million. And that’s before you realize that Matip signed a free transfer from Schalke in 2016 and the fact that Phillips joined the club’s youth system from Bolton.
It is one more validation of the club’s transfer policy in recent years, and it also shows that the Liverpool academy is producing players for the first team. This not only strengthens the club’s culture, but also saves significant amounts on transfer and signing fees.
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Liverpool chose not to sign a replacement for Dejan Lovren in the summer. They knew they might need to turn to the likes of Williams and Phillips at some point, and it’s a testament to the club’s faith in the young defenders that they didn’t feel the need to spend cash on a Lovren successor. Williams and Phillips are now acting as inspiration for Liverpool’s youth team, as are Alexander-Arnold and Neco Williams, who entered as late substitutes in Bergamo.
Liverpool have already played three Champions League games without conceding a goal. A defense built on smart recruiting and academic products that make a name for themselves provides the foundation for the further success of this campaign.
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