- Liverpool move nearer to the Premier League crown with a narrow 1-0 victory against Everton.
- Curtis Jones steps in as the replacement for his Liverpool teammate Trent Alexander-Arnold at the position of right-back.
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A player from Liverpool at right back. 'The king has fallen, long live the new king' as they say.
With Trent Alexander-Arnold Due to an injury and with his future being highly questionable, it fell upon the other local youngster in the team to take over and fill his position: Curtis Jones.
The English national team player began a league match as a fullback for the first time in his professional career, possibly giving us a preview of what lies ahead in a world sans Alexander-Arnold, assuming the fullback leaves the club. Real Madrid as many expect.
Mail Sport has learned that no official documents have been signed regarding a transfer to the Spanish club as of now. Reports from last week indicating that everything was finalized appear to be somewhat overstated, despite expectations pointing towards Alexander-Arnold ultimately making the switch.
However, irrespective of all that, Liverpool They need to begin outlining their strategies—at least in pencil—should their vice-captain depart. This presented an opportunity for Jones to demonstrate his capabilities. Arne Slot What actions can he take there?
He aced that audition spectacularly. He successfully executed 68 out of 73 passes, claimed victory in three out of five duels, and gained possession six times.
However, beyond just the statistics, he brought the kind of innovation that Liverpool missed out on during the EFL Cup final. Jarell Quansah began that game, and it seemed as though Alexander-Arnold’s unconventional distribution was badly absent.
While Jones doesn’t possess the sole ability to breach defenses, he delivered an impressive performance that supports a notion Slot has contemplated for months—and one that Liverpool has been focusing on since resuming training on Saturday.
In a Carabao Cup match in September 2023, he led the team from right back, though this was his first significant game in that position. He adapted to it effortlessly.
'Curtis was fantastic,' stated Andy Robertson. 'He put up a truly impressive performance; he’s such a smart player. We were laughing yesterday — he’s taken on roles like playing left winger, as a No 10, a forward, a defensive midfielder, an attacking midfielder, and even a right-back.'
'It demonstrates his intelligence; he handled the match with ease. He was so at home with the ball and also put up a strong defensive showing.'
It should also be noted that Jones frequently wears his heart on his sleeve—perhaps to his disadvantage during the return match at Goodison Park where he received a red card. Despite this, the hometown hero remains a favorite among the supporters.
Slot added: 'This isn’t an idea that just surfaced recently; it’s been on our minds for some time now. During the initial part of the season, these were instances when we discussed certain things with him. I felt confident that he could handle those tasks or manage them at particular times.'
'Three defenders are out due to injuries, leaving us with the option of using a center-back instead. However, we believed that for us to stand a chance at winning this match, our performance needed to be superior compared to when we played away before. It was risky deploying him as a midfielder, yet his creative abilities convinced me.'
'His defensive play was impressive, he put up a solid performance, which is great to have as an additional choice.'
Robertson and Slot highlighted his composure with the ball and noted that his inventiveness was his primary strength—however, his most significant contributions were defensively oriented. He made a crucial clearance during added time and also executed several timely tackles.
A single game at right-back doesn’t imply that Jones is the solution should Alexander-Arnold depart this summer; Conor Bradley likely has his own thoughts on that matter. Nonetheless, it was quite an encouraging performance and something else for Slot to ponder moving forward.
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