Liverpool got back to winning ways in the Champions League with a late 1-0 victory at the San Siro against last year's finalists Inter Milan. Arne Slot's side dug in deep to put on an improved display, with one man getting a lot of praise for his efforts.
There was plenty of controversy in the Italian capital as Liverpool saw Ibrahima Konate's header disallowed in the first half due to a Hugo Ektitike handball, a decision Mark Clattenburg felt was harsh. But then the Reds got a bit of fortune in a later VAR call.
Florian Wirtz fell dramatically to the floor inside the penalty area, with many immediately assuming nothing would come of it. Replays did show a slight shirt pull, which eventually saw a spot-kick awarded. Dominik Szoboszlai slammed home expertly from 12 yards out to hand the visitors a vital three points.
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Curtis Jones Steps Up For His Boyhood Club
Curtis Jones vs Inter
There were several improved Liverpool performances, with the likes of Andy Robertson, Alexis Mac Allister and Ibrahima Konate all looking a lot more comfortable than they have done for the majority of the campaign.
However, the real star of the show was Liverpool-born Curtis Jones. The boyhood Liverpool fan has always been seen as a rotational option and never had a nailed-on place in the starting XI. That may have just changed.
Completing 96% of his 70 attempted passes, the England international brought calmness and composure to the engine room. Slot changed his system with a distinct lack of a natural winger in the team, instead playing with four more central players in a diamond shape.
That could be the key to unlocking Jones' significant potential, as he was given freedom to display his impressive dribbling ability (completed three out of three) while also having the responsibility of dropping deep at times to get on the ball and progress forward.
Jones now looks like a top-class footballer who is comfortable in his own skin and the display in Milan will have done his chances of starting against Brighton no harm at all. In fact, he was the most impressive of the four central midfielders in red on Tuesday night.
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Liverpool Fans Heap Praise on 'Phenomenal' Jones
Curtis Jones
Liverpool supporters were quick to express their joy at seeing Jones' San Siro masterclass on social media. Many now feel he has to be a regular part of Slot's starting line-up, with one X (formerly Twitter) user saying:
"Curtis Jones has been our best midfielder behind Szoboszlai this season btw. Genuinely one of Liverpool's best players right now. I still don’t understand how the fanbase is so divided on him."
The praise just kept piling in as another fan stated: "Curtis Jones is an incredible footballer," and another was impressed with the new set-up: "Szoboszlai has been Liverpool’s best player this season. But Curtis Jones has also largely been excellent when he’s played this season. A 4-midfielder setup with Gravenberch-Jones-Szoboszlai-Wirtz looks like a no-brainer for Slot to use at this point."
One delighted supporter went as far as saying the 24-year-old should feature in all games, saying:
"Curtis Jones should play every game. He’s ready. Off the pitch, he’s been a leader, taking all the press interviews. This is his season, man.
"This is where he stands up and becomes the man. I know he’s relishing it."
That sentiment was echoed by yet another online Red, who added: "Curtis Jones is phenomenal. One of Slot’s biggest mistakes this season is not playing him enough. Should be a nailed-on starter for a team that’s desperate for control with the ball."
Statistics in this article are courtesy of SofaScore. Correct as of 10-11-25.