The injury to Ibrahima Konaté and the suspension of Virgil van Dijk haven’t made a difficult match against an up-and-coming Aston Villa team on Sunday any easier, but there is a chance for another man in Liverpool’s roster to emerge.
Joe Gomez and Jol Matip, a center-back pair, did not perform well throughout the preseason, and some even suggested that they could need to be replaced.
The signing of Ryan Gravenberch, a midfielder for Bayern Munich, was the final signing of the 2023 summer transfer window, thus Jürgen Klopp wasn’t quite persuaded of the need to bring in another defender. Gomez, who was able to take Virgil van Dijk’s lead, can now demonstrate why Klopp was correct.
Like Gomez, the Liverpool captain endured similar scrutiny the previous year. A modest decline in his performances led some to speculate that he would never reach his prior standards, but the 32-year-old has excelled at the start of the new season—aside from his red card last week, which some thought was unfair.
It is obvious that Klopp, who has occasionally faced criticism for his devotion to his players, views Gomez as a player who can contribute significantly to the team. And van Dijk has given him the instructions on how to achieve it after a decline in performance. Gomez showed flashes of what he can do in his last outing against Newcastle, but consistency is still the key.
There have been great performances, like the last season’s meeting at Anfield against Manchester City, but there have also been those games when he could have performed better, especially in the Champions League games against Napoli and Real Madrid.
Gomez, who joined Liverpool in 2015, is closing in on ten years with the organization. During that time, he has endured difficulties while contributing to the team’s most prosperous Premier League era.
There is no better time for him to re-capture some of his finest form for Liverpool than right now, when he has a chance to shine and some of Gareth Southgate’s England selections in the heart of the defense are being questioned.
