1 day Ago By Daniel Hepburn
Upon Ibrahima Konate being ruled out of Liverpool ’s Premier League clash with Manchester City, there was a collective sigh of concern let out around Anfield thanks to the Frenchman being imperious since the 2024/25 campaign got underway. Proving to be defensively imperious time and time again, Paris-born Konate tangled with Endrick in the dying embers of their 2-0 win over Real Madrid in the Champions League . He’s now set for some time on the sidelines, leaving a space at the heart of defence ajar.
Arne Slot had the onerous task of choosing who would partner their ever-reliable skipper Virgil van Dijk against Pep Guardiola’s out-of-sorts City side: would it be the impressive, young Jarrel Quansah or would Joe Gomez get another bite of the cherry? The Englishman has struggled for game time this season, and should consider a move elsewhere if this is to continue. In the end, the Dutchman – whose side are now sitting nine points ahead of Arsenal at the summit of the top flight – opted for the latter and the 15-cap England international certainly repaid Slot’s faith by keeping the likes of Erling Haaland quiet. Inside Gomez’s Commanding Display vs City As Liverpool’s longest-serving active player , Gomez has endeared himself to the Anfield faithful since joining from Charlton Athletic in the summer of 2015, despite spending plenty of time on the substitutes bench by virtue of Van Djik and Konate being their favoured partnership in the heart of the back line.
Now 27 years of age, having won the Champions League and the club’s first-ever Premier League title with the Reds, he’s played just shy of 250 games (233, to be precise, at the time of writing) for the club – but not many have been as impressive as his 90-minute display against Guardiola’s men on Sunday afternoon. Enjoying 79 touches of the ball, the most of any Liverpool player, Gomez was a solid presence next to the skipper. What was equally impressive was his five passes into the final third, a tally matching that of Trent Alexander-Arnold and Dominik Szoboszlai, which proves his ability to make a difference going forward.
Gomez's Statistics in Liverpool 2-0 Man City Minutes 90 Accurate passes 67/76 (88%) Passes into final third 5 Blocks + clearances 2 Recoveries 7 Duels won 2/2 (100%) Overall Rating 7.3 He also remained defensively sound. As evidenced by his seven recoveries, the Englishman was pivotal to the hosts' back line sniffing out, and thus preventing, any danger that the visitors attempted to muster.
Post-match, fans rushed to social media to heap praise on the heroic London-born defender whose career on the red side of Merseyside has been marred by a host of injuries: “I hope everybody gives Joe Gomez his flowers. “He's been here almost 10 years, battled through so many serious injuries at such a young age, wanted to leave this summer but stayed, has been patient, and puts in a performance like that. I adore him.
An absolute hero.” Slot now has a selection headache in Konate’s absence – one that could potentially continue upon the Frenchman’s return. Despite Konate being one of Slot’s finest soldiers since the season kicked off, there are very few players that can be considered indispensable.
GIVEMESPORT Key Statistic: Gomez, since joining in 2015, has not scored a single goal for Liverpool in 233 games. Gomez Linked with January Move Away from Anfield There was always the feeling that Gomez’s future was left ajar and that next summer, with his contract set to expire two years later, was the perfect opportunity to cut ties and let him explore pastures new at a club where he’d be a certified starter. Given the sporadic nature of his Anfield stint, with him chalking up just 354 minutes of action across all competitions this term, there is substance to him being linked with a move away this January.
According to Football Insider, Eddie Howe’s Newcastle United and Aston Villa are two of the teams interested in his services in January 2025 . They were both potential suitors over the summer months when Gomez informed his current employers of his desire to leave. Joe Gomez has barely featured for Liverpool under Arne Slot but could be a great mid-season addition for Eddie Howe at St.
James' Park. There was once a period in Gomez's career when becoming Van Dijk’s long-term central defensive partner seemed inevitable and, given that he hasn’t been issued much in the way of starts under Slot’s tenureship, moving away could be a move suitable for all parties. For now, however, it is abundantly clear that he is above the likes of Quansah, 21, in the pecking order – and for as long as Konate remains injured, he’ll be the first in line for minutes, marshalling the back line alongside the aforementioned Van Dijk.
All statistics per Transfermarkt - correct as of 02/12/24.
