Liverpool right-back Conor Bradley featured for Northern Ireland as they beat Luxembourg 1-0 in a World Cup qualifier.
It has been a mixed week for the Reds’ international players, with Hugo Ekitike among those to struggle in the latest round of games.
Virgil van Dijk and Cody Gakpo received praise during the Netherlands’ latest outing, while Bradley started Northern Ireland’s last clash of the November international break.
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Michael O’Neill’s men beat Luxembourg 1-0 and are set to compete in the World Cup play-offs come March 2026.
Conor Bradley before Northern Ireland v Luxembourg - FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifier
Photo by Charles McQuillan/Getty Images
Conor Bradley’s main strength was highlighted after Northern Ireland beat Luxembourg
Bradley started the clash at right-wing-back, but his attacking threat during the clash was pretty limited.
Liverpool lost Trent Alexander-Arnold earlier this year and have struggled to replace his qualities in the final third so far.
Arne Slot has had to rely heavily on Bradley to fill the void in 2025/26, but it’s become clear he doesn’t offer the same threat as Trent going forward.
We saw this again on Monday when looking at his stats via Sofascore.
Key passes: 0
Crosses (accurate): 1 (0)
Accurate passes: 12/21 (57%)
Passes in opposition half (accurate): 4/14 (29%)
Dribbles (successful): 1 (0)
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However, while Bradley’s attacking prowess was underwhelming against Luxembourg, he remains an incredibly sound defender.
Recoveries: 4
Ground duels (won): 5 (4)
Aerial duels (won): 5 (2)
Dribbled past: 0
Conor Bradley of Liverpool applauds the fans during the warm up prior to the Premier League match between Brentford and Liverpool at Gtech Community Stadium.
Photo by Liverpool FC/Liverpool FC via Getty Images
Conor Bradley will still be key for Liverpool
Lacking an attacking threat when compared to Alexander-Arnold is not necessarily a bad thing for Bradley, though.
Jeremie Frimpong is recovering from injury, and when the Dutchman is back fit, Arne Slot will have the perfect balance at right-back.
The summer signing is much stronger going forward, hence why he was initially brought in to replace Trent.
However, Bradley’s defensive attributes mean Slot can, when both players are available, pick and choose who starts which games.
In matches when Liverpool are expected to be under a lot of pressure and sit deeper, the Liverpool coach may wish to start the more defensively sound right-back, while Frimpong could then be brought on later in those ties and start fixtures in which the opposition is expected to sit deeper.