Cody Gakpo of Liverpool celebrates scoring his team's second goal with teammate Joe Gomez during the Premier League match between West Ham United and Liverpool at London Stadium on November 30, 2025 in London, England. (Photo by Alex Pantling/Getty Images)placeholder image
Cody Gakpo of Liverpool celebrates scoring his team's second goal with teammate Joe Gomez during the Premier League match between West Ham United and Liverpool at London Stadium on November 30, 2025 in London, England. (Photo by Alex Pantling/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Joe Gomez returned to Liverpool’s starting line-up in the 2-0 victory over West Ham United in the Premier League.
It was a selection call that plenty of supporters have been clamouring for.
The Reds’ rearguard has been porous throughout the 2025-26 campaign. It’s a significant reason why their Premier League title defence is already over.
There had been calls for Gomez to operate at right-back before Liverpool’s injury issues. And even after Conor Bradley joined Jeremie Frimpong on the treatment table, head coach Arne Slot opted not to utilise the Reds’ longest-serving player. Granted, a big factor was that Gomez has been struggling for fitness himself, having a knee injection before the sobering 3-0 loss to Nottingham Forest.
But he was deemed ready to face West Ham and was handed a first league start in 11 months. It was in last year’s 5-0 triumph at the London Stadium that Gomez suffered the first of two hamstring issues, which majorly disrupted him. Even after overcoming his problems. Liverpool have remained somewhat cautious.
In an ideal world. Slot would not play a recognised centre-back on the right-hand side regularly. The Liverpool boss previously claimed that it would go against his beliefs. But after conceding 10 goals in the past three games, with pressure starting to mount on the head coach, he was not stubborn and deviated from his favoured tactics.
Gomez gave Liverpool more stability. During the game, he made three nterceptions, two clearances, three recoveries and blocked one shot. The 28-year-old presence also had a positive impact on Ibrahima Konate.
Yet it was not in the rearguard that Gomez made his mark. He also caught the eye on the front foot and looked to get down the flank when deemed sensible. In the first half, he stood up a cross that Cody Gakpo headed back across the goal for Alexander Isa, whose effort was saved. Then, shortly before the break, a low centre into the area forced West Ham goalkeeper Alphonse Areola to produce a stop off his line.
It was Gomez’s long throw that would help engineer Isak’s opener as he finally got his Premier League account up and running. And in the dying embers, the England international helped settle any nerves. Gomez picked the ball up outside the West Ham area. The travelling fans situated behind the goal urged him to shoot and try to bag for the first time in his Liverpool career. There might have been some temptation but he resisted - and it paid dividends. Instead, Gomez put a cross into the box that found Gakpo, who hammered home to settle the triumph.
And after a VAR check cleared Gakpo of handball, it meant that Gomez had his first Premier League assist for the first time in almost two years. The last time he set-up a goal was in a 4-0 victory over AFC Bournemouth on 24 January 2024 - some 676 days earlier. On that day, he teed-up Darwin Nunez to bag in the 93rd minute.
With Liverpool facing Sunderland on Wednesday, plenty of fans will hope that Gomez - whose performance earned a 9/10 player rating from LiverpoolWorld - keeps his spot. However, with Bradley and Frimpong still sidelined, Slot may have a decision to make as he does not want to risk any more injuries.
Continue Reading