Liverpool edged a tight Merseyside Derby on Wednesday night as they beat Everton 1-0.
The Reds knew it was a massive night for them against their local rivals as they aimed to restore a 12-point lead at the top of the Premier League.
After back-to-back defeats before the March international break, it was an understandably nervous Anfield for much of the evening, but Liverpool got the job done.
One of the reason for the nerves was perhaps some unexpected changes in the Liverpool back line.
Alisson Becker had been expected to be ready, but with the goalkeeper having failed a concussion test before the match, he sat out, with Caoimhin Kelleher coming in.
Then, at right-back, Arne Slot surprisingly opted for Curtis Jones instead of Jarell Quansah. Having delivered an assured display in unfamiliar surrounds, Jones opened up on how Slot had ‘sold’ the position on him pre-match.
Photo by PAUL ELLIS/AFP via Getty Images
Photo by PAUL ELLIS/AFP via Getty Images
Curtis Jones reveals right-back persuasion
Jones has actually played at right-back for Liverpool before. The Scouser is a handy option to have.
Slot hinted he may use Jones at right-back a few weeks back, but has since put Quansah in to largely good effect.
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But speaking to LFCTV after the win over Everton, Jones suggested that with the Blues set to have much less of the ball at Anfield, Slot told him he’d effectively be playing as another midfielder anyway.
“That was the good thing, that’s kind of how he sold it to me as well,” said the 24-year-old.
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“He said I’ll be playing more as a 10 because we’ll be having all the ball, so I was like ‘alright, yeah, that’s sound!’
“But in terms of their style of play they were going long a lot of the time so I was finding myself at the back post a load and clearing things, stopping shots and crosses and things like that but that’s part of the game, part of being at right-back as well. He’s trusted me in there so I had to do a job.”
Will Jones play right-back on Sunday?
This was a test for Jones, make no mistake about it. Although Everton did not have loads of the ball, their direct style was difficult for the whole Liverpool back line to deal with.
And on a night where Virgil van Dijk struggled to get going and Ibrahima Konate looked shaky at times, Jones stood out as a better performer.
With Trent Alexander-Arnold and Joe Gomez still injured, there is a legitimate question over whether Jones may then go again when Liverpool meet Fulham on Sunday.
Conor Bradley is back in training but had been working individually before the Everton game. It feels unlikely that he’ll be ready for the weekend.
Fulham will likely have more of the ball than Everton mustered, so perhaps Slot will choose to put Quansah back in. But Jones has showed that if he wants to do the same again, it could pay off.