Curtis Jones has a good case for best player on the pitch during Liverpool’s Merseyside derby win, and he set a new season record in the Premier League.
Liverpool got out of the Hill Dickinson Stadium with three points by the skin of their teeth, and the only Scouser in the side rose to the occasion. Jones gave Liverpool plenty to think about with that performance as uncertainty lingers around his future at the club.
Starting at right-back, Jones made more passes and had more touches than any other player, but it was his work out of possession that really impressed.
Are Liverpool making the right call by sticking with Arne Slot? 🤔
What does he need to do to get the fans and players back on side?
Arne Slot gives a thumbs up during Liverpool's UEFA Champions League win over Marseille in the Stade Velodrome
Credit: Stuart Franklin/UEFA/Getty Images
Curtis Jones sets season record for possessions won vs Everton
Right-back isn’t Jones’ natural position, but you wouldn’t have known based on his display over the 90 minutes.
He won back possession for Liverpool 16 times. According to Squawka, that’s the most of any player this season, and the most in a Premier League match since William Saliba’s 17 in 2023/24.
Curtis Jones and William Saliba
Photo by BEN STANSALL/AFP via Getty Images
It was the performance we should have expected from a player who always turns up against Liverpool’s bitter Merseyside rivals.
It reaffirms the importance of having a local aspect to the squad, especially for a club like Liverpool. That fire and passion were never more evident than after the game, when Jones aimed a dig at Everton’s mindset to add insult to injury.
MORE LIVERPOOL STORIES
Still a place at Liverpool for Curtis Jones
The 25-year-old isn’t happy with the role he has under Arne Slot, feeling as though he deserves more of a chance.
For a player entering his prime, that grievance is understandable. In the same breath, he has given the Dutchman reason to look elsewhere at times.
What should Liverpool do with Curtis Jones? His contract expires in 2027 ❌
Curtis Jones of Liverpool FC during the UEFA Champions League match between Galatasaray v Liverpool at the Rams Park
Credit: Gerrit van Keulen/Soccrates/Getty Images
The versatility he showed against Everton is evidence of his importance to a squad that desperately needs depth in most areas.
There’s every chance Jones draws the curtain on his time at Anfield this summer, but if he’s willing to keep going in a red shirt, the club should oblige.
Join Our Newsletter
Receive a digest of our best Liverpool content each week direct to your mailbox