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Phillips asks a transfer question
Another day, another central pairing.
But none that were completely alien to Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp.
While a different sixth starting pair in 12 games this season highlighted the defensive problems the Reds boss has to deal with, Nat Phillips and Joe Gomez had been partners before in the first’s only previous outing in the Cup win. FA over Everton in January.
For Phillips, it was a great moment, his Premier League debut just weeks after Klopp himself admitted that the player was ready to leave the club.
Surprisingly, the 23-year-old was the senior center-back in terms of age, two months older than Gomez but significantly behind in terms of elite-level experience.
Nerves eased with an imposing early header, Phillips confidently sticking to the basics throughout with his commanding passing performance encapsulated by an emphatic punt from a Hammers corner in injury time.
In fact, the West Ham starter mistake came from Gomez, who erased his copybook with a misdirected header that allowed Pablo Fornals to score with a shot that Alisson Becker perhaps could have done more to stay out.
To be fair, Gómez responded well to the error, an important trait for any center-back.
The smart money remains that Liverpool trade in for a central defender in January. Klopp, however, will be pleased that faith in his current options continues to be rewarded.
Jones fills Thiago’s boots
When asked before the game what to expect from Curtis Jones, Jurgen Klopp responded effusively as a trademark.
“Defending like a soldier, attacking like a Scouser,” said the Reds boss, having given Jones just a second start in the Premier League.
Klopp was forced to turn to the 19-year-old after Thiago Alcantara and Naby Keita failed to demonstrate their fitness.
With West Ham boss David Moyes tracing a 5-4-1 rearguard, it was precisely for those games that Thiago’s pass and Keita’s cut and drive were bought.
Instead, the responsibility fell primarily on Jones.
Since he never shirked responsibility, the youngster regularly searched for the ball and was happy to tie the game in the first half without really putting the visitors’ organization to the test.
After the break, however, and no doubt after a word from the manager in his ear, Jones operated noticeably higher and began to show some encouraging flashes.
What didn’t help was that, ahead of him, Roberto Firmino was somewhat below average and even Sadio Mane took some time to find some kind of rhythm.
When Jones was replaced with 20 minutes remaining, collectively the team needed the momentum of Xherdan Shaqiri and Diogo Jota.
It was not a reflection of another step forward in Jones’ fledgling Liverpool career.
Reds keep the house rule, kind of
There is no place like home for Liverpool. Even if, with the fans still absent, this is nothing like the Anfield we all know.
A hard-earned win meant the Reds have now equaled their club’s record streak of 63 unbeaten games at home in the league.
It’s intriguing how long that sequence will go on in today’s environment.
Get more reactions to the Reds’ 2-1 win over West Ham on our Blood Red post-game podcast HERE
Never mind that the Reds team, like so many, is being stretched by the relentless match schedule for its increasingly fatigued players.
James Milner pointed out midweek that the lack of the “twelfth man”, the fans, has made life more difficult for Liverpool.
And while the same applies to any club, few would argue that Anfield is a place where it feels more intensely than most other arenas.
Liverpool have to find their motivation from within and stay focused without the audible endorsement of fans restricted to their own homes.
There were other milestones, the newly impressive Trent Alexander-Arnold making his 100th league appearance with Liverpool, while Mane totaled a 200th appearance in the Premier League overall.
However, only one statistic mattered. Marker.
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