The New York Times journalist Rory Smith has heaped praise on Liverpool midfielder Curtis Jones, describing him as a ‘rare breed‘ for his contributions in the middle of the park.
Alexis Mac Allister was given a breather in the Premier League clash over Chelsea. Jones took his place in midfield and delivered a man-of-the-match performance for the Reds.
The 23-year-old won a penalty, which Mohamed Salah expertly converted to give Liverpool the lead before latching on to the Egyptian’s cross to slot past Robert Sanchez after Nicolas Jackson had levelled matters.
Jones was in fine form in the 2-1 win over the Blues at Anfield, and his impact in midfield left Smith in awe of his rare ability.
“The midfield (under Klopp) was there basically to win the ball back as fast as possible and play it,” Smith said on BBC Radio.
“I think Curtis Jones is a much more subtle footballer in many ways. The way he drops the shoulder is superb.
“He’s not a technical dribbler like a [Lionel] Messi, but he sort of glides between players and a little feint or shimmy, and he’s away.
“I think what Slot has done is basically put a bit more creative emphasis on the midfield.
“Jones benefits from it, [Alexis] Mac Allister benefits from it, and I think the other player that benefits from it is [Dominik] Szoboszlai.”
Jones’ excellent performance against Chelsea means he has now staked a huge claim for a permanent place in Arne Slot’s team.
He was on the pitch for 81 minutes and had 56 touches, completing 37 of his 41 passes with a 90% pass accuracy and had two shots on target.
The 23-year-old won six of his eight ground duels while recording three tackles and two key passes.
It remains to be seen if he’ll keep his place in the XI when Liverpool visit the Red Bull Arena to take on RB Leipzig in the Champions League on Wednesday evening.
