100% pass success: One Liverpool player was almost ‘faultless’ with quietly brilliant display | OneFootball

Liverpool defender Joe Gomez has been praised for an almost ‘faultless’ outing in the 3-0 win over Marseille on Wednesday night.

The long-serving 28-year-old came into the starting line-up at the Stade Velodrome in place of Ibrahima Konate, who missed the fixture for personal reasons, and his display epitomised an excellent team performance from the Reds.

Excluding domestic cup games, it was only a fifth start of the season for our number 2, but tonight he proved just why Arne Slot can always rely on him whenever he’s needed.

Gomez was nearly ‘faultless’ for Liverpool tonight

Liverpool Echo reporter Paul Gorst was highly complimentary of Gomez’s performance in Marseille, awarding him 7/10 in his post-match player ratings as he wrote: ‘Headed wide from an early corner. Otherwise faultless on a rare start at centre-back. Full credit to him here.’

Centre-back partner Virgil van Dijk also praised the 28-year-old when speaking to TNT Sports shortly after full-time, and it was his pass out from the back to Dominik Szoboszlai which initiated the move that led to Cody Gakpo’s clinching goal in stoppage time.

(Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images)

As seen by the figures below from Sofascore, the Londoner recorded some impressive underlying numbers at the Stade Velodrome, especially in terms of his use of the ball.

Gomez underlines his importance to Liverpool with excellent display

Gomez hasn’t had much game-time in recent weeks, partly due to a hamstring injury over the festive period, but the long-term absences of Giovanni Leoni and Conor Bradley have served to heighten his importance to Liverpool, not least because of his versatility.

Alongside Van Dijk, he brought a steadying presence to a defensive unit which has copped some justified criticism this season, and that solid foundation enabled the Reds to put in one of their best performances of the entire campaign.

He’ll have been disappointed not to at least hit the target from the first-half header that Gorst mentioned, and that elusive wait for a first LFC goal still goes on, but that was the only minor blemish on an otherwise excellent display from the 28-year-old.

AC Milan had reportedly been eyeing the possibility of a January loan deal for Gomez in recent weeks -it’s now fairly safe to say that such a move will not be going ahead in the current transfer window!