Liverpool bench vs LASK-1
Liverpool bench vs LASK-1
Okay, okay, tougher tests to come and all that, but it was fun to watch Liverpool play some slick and uncontainable attacking football against LASK in the Champions League.
That's two wins from two on the European front, but last year in Arne Slot's system, the Reds saw false dawns rise from several positive performances out on the continent.
andoni-iraola-liverpool
But this was a return to form after being humbled by Manchester City at Anfield on Sunday. Perhaps that Premier League defeat will be lost in the vacuum of history when levelled charges are confirmed against the Etihad side, but for now, Andoni Iraola needs to see progress from his side, and a number of players rose to the occasion against LASK.
Liverpool's biggest winners vs LASK
Bradley Barcola has arrived. The French forward has struggled since joining Liverpool from Paris Saint-Germain for £123m, but his hat-trick against LASK showed a glimpse of the kind of prolific damage he could wreak on opponents.
Barcola wasn't alone in impressing. Jeremie Frimpong produced his finest display in some time, irresistable in attack. That said, the Dutch right sider struggled when LASK railed against Liverpool's superiority in the second half. Florian Wirtz played well, though supporters will reserve judgement until he faces Brentford away on Saturday afternoon.
Liverpool are working toward something here. Ronald Araujo scored in the attacking half and then secured Liverpool's dominance until he was withdrawn after an hour, making five clearances, winning both aerial battles and losing possession only twice. The loanee has been excellent since arriving from Barcelona.
tsimikas-araujo-liverpool
Not every member of the Liverpool persuasion left the field in Austria with their pride intact. Sadly, the hosts' valiant fightback exposed defensive fragilities which need ironing out - quickly.
Sadly, this leaky second-half display showed that one long-serving member of the side is on borrowed time.
No one is talking about how bad Liverpool stalwart was
Just after the hour mark, Virgil van Dijk was welcomed to the pitch, tasked with shoring things up for a Liverpool side in cruise control.
Iraola-Van-Dijk-Barcola-Liverpool
Action Images via Reuters/Paul Childs
Though it never felt like the Reds were going to capsize, Iraola will still be incensed by another three-goal concession, days after City ran rampant at Anfield.
Van Dijk didn't have his greatest (half) hour on Wednesday evening, but the skipper is still immense at the back. However, Joe Gomez has fallen down the pecking order in recent years, and after being introduced, it's clear that he will struggle to cement a starting berth under the new manager this year - barring an injury crisis.
He struggled to stand firm against LASK, clearly inferior as he tagged in for Araujo. He is rusty and lacking match fitness, but there's a question to be raised over whether Gomez will actually be handed the regularity of minutes he needs to return to speed before his contract expires next summer.
Across half an hour of football, during which LASK ramped up the pressure, Gomez made only one meaningful defensive contribution (a clearance), and lost his one contested aerial duel. Furthermore, he didn't complete a tackle, complete a key pass, have a shot or complete a dribble. His touch count of 17 was fewer than Alisson (45).
It wasn't convincing, and alongside Van Dijk, it was clear that the synergy the duo once had when they stood impregnable against opponents en route to the 2018/19 Premier League title.
Gomez has never reclaimed the level he held when winning the biggest trophies on offer under Jurgen Klopp's wing, but he has played a crucial role in Liverpool's rise over the past ten years.
The England international is Liverpool's longest-serving first-team player. He has earned his flowers, but FSG were open to letting him leave this summer, with Aston Villa sniffing around as they sought after a replacement for Arsenal-bound Ezri Konsa.
Liverpool's Joe Gomez in action with Barnsley's Reyes Cleary
Liverpool's Joe Gomez in action with Barnsley's Reyes Cleary
Giovanni Leoni is taking his time as he recovers from the ACL injury suffered against Southampton on his debut 13 months ago, but the young Italian is considered one of the brightest defensive prospects in the world, and if he hits the ground running upon returning to full fitness, Gomez's hopes of playing regularly before his contract expires next summer will only deepen.