Dominik Szoboszlai stole the headlines as Liverpool prevailed against Arsenal in the Premier League on Sunday evening.
It was Szoboszlai’s rocket of a free-kick that won the game, with the Cristiano Ronaldo-esque strike nearly breaking David Raya’s net.
Arteta set up his Arsenal side to be very defensive, and it didn’t work out. Liverpool dominated proceedings, and despite some players like Florian Wirtz not unleashing their full potential, it was undisputed that Liverpool were on top.
And while Szoboszlai was the man of the match by a country mile, one Liverpool star also deserves plaudits for his performance against the Gunners.
Liverpool v Arsenal - Premier League
Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images
Milos Kerkez was sensational against Arsenal
Milos Kerkez arrived from Bournemouth for £40m in the summer transfer window, but it was the Arsenal clash where he truly announced himself at Anfield.
Kerkez was tasked with dealing with new Arsenal signing Noni Madueke, and he looked relatively unphased throughout.
But he wasn’t just astute defensively; going forward, he was fabulous. He looked like an Andy Robertson regen, linking up with players around him and offering avenues in attack to trouble Arteta’s defence.
This was a stark contrast to Kerkez’s previous peformances, particularly against Newcastle, where he was poor.
Liverpool Echo’s Paul Gorst praised the Hungarian, noting: “Been a good spell for Milos Kerkez, this. His best near-half-hour so far as a Liverpool player. He has looked strong, quick and aggressive.”
We’d be inclined to agree, and that form continued into the 90th minute. Despite not being at the club too long, it was the 21-year-old’s finest display in red thus far.
Kerkez stats in the Premier League fixture
Kerkez’s fine performance was reflected in his stats, which were favourable against Arsenal.
|---|---|
|Accurate Passes|25/30 (83%)|
|Tackles Won|2/3 (67%)|
|Clean Sheet|Yes|
|Last Man Tackles|1|
|Clearances|5|
|Ground Duels Won|5/5 (100%)|
|Aerial Duels Won|2/4 (50%)|
Kerkez vs Arsenal, sourced from FOTMOB.
Kerkez will play a massive part for Arne Slot this season, and if his showings are anything like Sunday’s, the Reds have got themselves an absolute bargain.