Liverpool moved to the top of the Premier League table after picking up an enormous victory over Brighton on Saturday (2 November) at Anfield.
The Reds were thoroughly outplayed by the visitors in the first half as they went 1-0 behind at the break.
To make matters worse, Liverpool defender Ibrahima Konate picked up an injury in the final few minutes of the first half.
Arne Slot threw Joe Gomez onto the pitch, and the Reds defender was simply terrific alongside Virgil van Dijk.
Gomez nearly got his first goal for Liverpool, but his header couldn’t find the net. But Cody Gakpo and Mohamed Salah did, and two goals inside five minutes sealed the tie in Liverpool’s favour.
In the end, it was a deserved victory, considering how the Reds have soaked up the pressure and come out strongly.
Konate and Virgil van Dijk have forged a strong partnership at the back this season, and the likes of Gomez and Jarrell Quansah haven’t played regularly as a result.
What Arne Slot has said about Joe Gomez
The England defender started the game in midweek, and the decision to bring him ahead of Quansah was vindicated.
Slot revealed after the match that Quansah was tired after the midweek game, so the decision to bring Gomez proved to be the right one.
“I chose Joe today because Jarell was really tired and he proved I was right because he was outstanding in the second half,” said Slot after the game.
“He had a very good performance without the ball. He constantly stepped into midfield to win the ball, winning the duels, and when he had to defend he did very well. Very good second half.”
Joe Gomez could now get an extended run in the first team
The injury to Konate could open the door for Gomez to start a few games and impress the Reds boss.
It is still unclear whether Konate has picked up a serious injury, but Slot is unlikely to risk the Frenchman before the international break.
Gomez made one tackle, two clearances and two blocks in the second half. He won three aerial duels as well to cap off a fantastic defensive performance.
He also made 22 accurate passes out of 25 attempted (88% passing accuracy) and had two shots on target. Surely, he should be the first name on the team sheet against Bayer Leverkusen in midweek if Konate remains out injured.
In another Liverpool news, Chris Sutton was simply blown away by one Redss player after what he did against Brighton.
