Liverpool star has solved FOUR big team issues, with blueprint for winning streak set | OneFootball

Multiple sources are hailing the transformative effect the simple selection of Joe Gomez made on Liverpool, with as many as FOUR problems solved by the defender’s inclusion.

Liverpool entered their clash with West Ham on Sunday on the back of three successive defeats, all of which came by three-goal margins. The Reds were truly shambolic in defence, with Milos Kerkez and Ibrahima Konate particularly sore spots throughout the campaign so far.

Furthermore, Liverpool have shipped an eye-watering nine goals from set pieces in just the Premier League this season. That is truly a remarkable statistic when you consider regular starters like Virgil van Dijk, Ibrahima Konate, Ryan Gravenberch, Cody Gakpo and Alexander Isak/Hugo Ekitike are all 6ft 3in or above.

After recovering from injury, Gomez had warmed the bench in Liverpool’s defeats leading up the West Ham game. Slot finally pulled the trigger on Sunday, selecting Gomez at right-back, which is a position he’s more than familiar with playing throughout his Liverpool career.

The impact was instant, with Gomez helping to shore up Liverpool’s right side that has looked leaky to say the least when Conor Bradley, Jeremie Frimpong, Curtis Jones or Dominik Szoboszlai were selected.

Furthermore, Gomez’s extra height ensured Liverpool weren’t troubled at set pieces. The balance he provided also gave Kerkez greater freedom to bomb forward down the left, with the Hungarian producing perhaps his most encouraging display in a red shirt yet.

Additionally, the presence of Gomez at right-back served as a calming influence on the usually shaky Konate. Like Kerkez, Konate finally looked comfortable in Liverpool’s backline.

Gomez’s impact has not gone unnoticed, with The Daily Mail’s Merseyside correspondent, Lewis Steele, singling out the defender for special praise on Monday morning.

Steele wrote: ‘ Mohamed Salah is undoubtedly one of the very greatest players to ever don the Liverpool shirt, so this is absolutely no slight on him – but it might just be no coincidence that all of a sudden they looked much more solid at the back.

‘Dominik Szoboszlai, a man who always puts a shift in off the ball, was on the right wing (Salah is a supreme attacker but is allowed to do limited defensive duties). Behind him, the lesser-spotted Joe Gomez made sure West Ham did not have a sniff down that flank.

‘Gomez at right back meant the opposite full-back, Milos Kerkez, was given more of a licence to bomb down the left – and the Hungarian put in one of his best displays since a summer move from Bournemouth.

‘This was Gomez’s first league start since this fixture last season, way back in late December. Most of that has been down to injury but in recent weeks Reds fans have called for him to get back in the XI given Liverpool’s leaky defence.

‘He is the longest-serving player at the club and is a fan favourite due to his commitment.

‘Another attribute he gives the team is his height. Liverpool have conceded nine set-piece goals this season (more than all but two teams in the league) but Gomez, Konate and Van Dijk headed away everything that was thrown at them today.

‘As for Salah, this will please Arne Slot who knows the man who fired them to the title last season with 57 goal involvements across competitions will soon be jetting off to the Africa Cup of Nations.

‘Salah now has a point to prove when he returns to the team – and usually he plays well when he is fired up – but Liverpool also now know they can win without him.’

Despite Liverpool’s horrific run of results, the fact those around them are dropping points on the regular has ensured they’re within one game of the top four.

The Reds sit just three points off fourth-placed Aston Villa. Leaders Arsenal, who drew for the second time in three league matches on Sunday, are nine clear at the top.

Up next in the league for Liverpool are Sunderland, Leeds United, Brighton, Tottenham, Wolves, Leeds again, then Fulham.

Slot will insist his players take it one game at a time, but if lessons from the early-season struggles have been learned, the Reds could have taken the first step on what could potentially be a lengthy winning streak in the league.

TEAMtalk said it first

Reacting to Liverpool’s morale-boosting win over the Hammers, our features writer, Nathan Egerton, pinpointed three selection lessons Slot learned from the clash, one of which involved Gomez.

Egerton wrote: ‘Following Trent Alexander-Arnold’s move to Real Madrid in the summer, right-back has become a problem position for Liverpool.

‘Jeremie Frimpong was signed from Bayer Leverkusen to compete with Conor Bradley, but the two right-backs have struggled with injury problems this season.

‘Dominik Szoboszlai and Curtis Jones – who are both atacking midfielders by trade – have played as makeshift right-backs for Liverpool in recent weeks.

‘Gomez was an unused substitute in the defeats to Nottingham Forest and PSV but came in at right-back against West Ham for his first Premier League start of the season.

“We have conceded far too many goals,” Slot said before the match. “That isn’t about the right-back position, everyone is involved, but with Joe we bring in a full-back who is normally a centre-back.

“After conceding 10 goals, I have decided to play with four real defenders, where in the past we have played with midfielders.

“Curtis and Dom have done a more than acceptable job in that position, but Joe is someone who has played that position many times during his career.”

‘The 28-year-old justified his selection with a defensively solid performance, making three interceptions, three recoveries, two clearances and one block.

‘His performance at the London Stadium also helped Liverpool keep their first clean sheet away from home since the 1-0 win over Burnley in September.

‘While the centre-back isn’t renowned for his attacking qualities, he got an assist against West Ham after picking out Gakpo with an impressive cross in injury time.

‘Liverpool signed two attacking full-backs in the summer but picking one defensive-minded right-back provided more stability against the Hammers, and Gomez should now keep his place in the team for the next few weeks.’

Latest Liverpool news – Salah / Real Madrid / Konate

In other news,  Slot insists Salah ‘remains crucial’ to the Reds and will continue to do so after his role as an unused substitute at West Ham led to speculation that it was the beginning of the end for him at Anfield.

Elsewhere, stunning reports are talking up Liverpool bidding €60m for a Real Madrid midfielder, and the expectation is if such an offer is received, it would be accepted.