Despite their team putting five goals past West Ham on Saturday, Liverpool fans were left most impressed by a player on the opposition team.
Mateus Fernandes has come up trumps against the Reds before, scoring against them for Southampton last season, and he has now shot onto supporters’ radar with an accomplished performance at Anfield.
As Liverpool search for a new midfielder to add to their current array of options this summer, is Fernandes a genuine candidate, or just another pretender?
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Liverpool coach Aaron Briggs pictured during the warm-up ahead of Arsenal vs Liverpool in the Premier League at the Emirates Stadium (Credit: Getty Images/Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA).
Photo Credit: Getty Images/Robbie Jay Barratt – AMA
Rousing The Kop took a closer look at his display on Saturday to find out.
Fernandes shows off impressive passing ability
It is perhaps not the best indicator of Fernandes’ talents that he could get relegated with different teams in consecutive seasons.
But as Saturday showed, if West Ham do go down this term, the £42m signing from Southampton will have no blame whatsoever attached to him.
Fernandes was extremely confident on the ball against Liverpool, consistently finding his teammates with clever passes between the lines.
Liverpool v West Ham United - Premier League
Photo by Dan Mullan/Getty Images
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He ultimately attempted 71 passes, finding his intended target with 62 of them, while also trying 11 passes into the final third of the pitch.
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Fernandes played some nice one-touch passes with his teammates, and was also not afraid to switch play when needed. The Portuguese showed off his technique before West Ham’s first goal, fading in an excellent cross which Ibrahima Konate failed to deal with.
Verdict: Pass
No challenge too big for Fernandes
As well as showing his quality on the ball, Fernandes was adept at putting his foot in off it as well.
Despite his relatively small stature, the 21-year-old is not afraid to get stuck in, and he ultimately won eight of the 12 duels he contested against Liverpool.
One piece of good play to read some quick feet from Hugo Ekitike on the edge of his own box stood out, while he was also unlucky to be penalised for what looked like a clean tackle on Dominik Szoboszlai to set West Ham on the attack.
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Jeremie Frimpong celebrates after forcing an own goal during Liverpool's Premier League win over West Ham United at Anfield (Credit: Getty Images/Dan Mullan).
Photo Credit: Getty Images/Dan Mullan
Sitting as the deepest-lying and most central of the Hammers’ midfield three, he held his own against Liverpool’s midfield, showing great composure to pirouette away from Cody Gakpo with a piece of skill which saw the Dutchman pick up a yellow card.
There were some theatrics on display after being caught late to nick the ball away from Alexis Mac Allister, and the former Saints man does appear to play on the edge at times, but that is something Liverpool have been accused of lacking this season. Fernandes would add that.
Verdict: Pass
Willingness to drive forward adds X-factor for Fernandes
What was easily the most impressive thing about Fernandes’ performance at Anfield was the moments where he burst away from his markers with the ball at his feet.
One such moment came early in the first-half, when the No. 18 made a good through-the-lines pass around Mac Allister to Jarrod Bowen, who then laid it off for Tomas Soucek. Continuing his run beyond Mac Allister, Fernandes then collected the ball from Soucek before bursting past Szoboszlai and into the Liverpool final third.
It was a piece of play reminiscent of Ryan Gravenberch at his very best, and the fact that Fernandes used the ball well at the end of it was also worth noting.
West Ham United v Bournemouth - Premier League
Photo by Vince Mignott/MB Media/Getty Images
This was not the only time Fernandes showed off his ability and willingness to get forward from deep with the ball and is something that would be expected of him at Liverpool too.
Verdict: Pass
Overall verdict: Liverpool should be watching Fernandes closely
Liverpool have been linked with the likes of Elliot Anderson and Adam Wharton as they aim to add something extra to their midfield this summer.
However, both Englishmen will cost a bomb, and while Fernandes would not come cheap having arrived at the London Stadium for £42m only a year ago, he could represent a smart alternative for the Reds.
At just 21 he has arguably as big a potential as both Anderson and Wharton, and the skillset on display at Anfield suggested a versatile midfielder who is not afraid of the big stage.
There is obviously a chance that Fernandes was on Liverpool’s radar before Saturday’s game, but after what he showed in front of a knowledgeable Reds crowd, he certainly should be now.
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