Liverpool, one might imagine, will be quietly pleased that their efforts to land Moises Caicedo this summer were thwarted.

The Reds went on to sign Ryan Gravenberch and Wataru Endo instead, with the recruitment team completing an overhaul of the midfield department.

Ali Barat, the Ecuadorian’s agent, has since freshly reiterated the Merseysiders and Arsenal’s late interest in his client, admitting ‘it was a great experience’ in comments relayed by Fabrizio Romano on X.

Ali Barat after receiving Golden Boy Award as best agent — youngest agent at 43.

“Caicedo deal was exciting and also very tense. Before joining Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool tried to enter the race at the end… it was a great experience”. pic.twitter.com/J61pemA8gQ

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) December 5, 2023

The 22-year-old has since played 15 games for Mauricio Pochettino’s men, racking up precisely 1,030 minutes of action.

READ MORE: Transfer ‘definitely planned’ for Liverpool-linked target as father & agent breaks silence

READ MORE: January transfer ‘now impossible’ for Liverpool after Achilles tendon injury – report

At least someone enjoyed themselves!

Good for you, Ali! At least some of us weren’t left nervously chewing our fingernails over the remainder of the summer window.

Whilst we certainly have no regrets on our end over how the window panned out, it would be foolish to suggest that Caicedo won’t, at some stage, fulfil his lofty price tag at Stamford Bridge.

The former Brighton star was one of the most influential footballers in the Premier League last term and has far too much talent to simply be another body in English capital.

EOTK FPL Gameweek 14 Review : HOLD Trippier? The long-term view, Zinchenko’s time to shine? Eject your Villans?

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Florian Wirtz will remain at Bayer Leverkusen for one more year as things currently stand, according to the player’s father and agent, Hans-Joachim Wirtz.

Beyond that point, an exit away from the Bundesliga outfit is understood to be ‘definitely planned’ for 2025.

Florian Plettenberg relayed the comments in question on X (formerly Twitter), additionally noting that the player would then ‘prefer’ a transfer to admirers Bayern Munich.

Hans-Joachim #Wirtz, father and agent of Florian Wirtz excl. at Sky:

„Currently, everything is geared towards Florian continuing to play in Leverkusen next season.“

As reported: Wirtz is likely to stay in Leverkusen next season. A transfer is definitely planned in 2025.

… pic.twitter.com/NxYPRTeIaL

— Florian Plettenberg (@Plettigoal) December 4, 2023

Whether the Bavarians can succeed in their ambitions of landing one of the most talented midfielders in Europe remains to be seen amid reported interest from Liverpool [TeamTalk].

READ MORE: January transfer ‘now impossible’ for Liverpool after Achilles tendon injury – report

READ MORE: ‘They look the real deal’: Didi Hamann’s honest verdict on Arsenal v Liverpool in title challenge with Man City

Could/should Liverpool intervene?

With a contract not set to expire until 2025, you can absolutely expect Wirtz’s eventual asking price to be astronomical.

According to our sister site CaughtOffside back in November: “Our sources do not expect Wirtz to leave Bayer Leverkusen until at least next summer. The Germans are also open to a sale and are hopeful a summer bidding war will see their eye-watering £105 million (€120 million) asking price met.”

The fee would appear to be justified to a certain degree, given that the 20-year-old is already on a whopping 16 goal contributions in 19 games.

Statistically, the player stacks up well against the best in Europe’s top five leagues, registering in the 97th percentile, for instance, in shot-creating actions, according to FBref.

If Wirtz can maintain that form going into the rest of the season and, perhaps, the next – he’s going to be unaffordable for a considerable number of potential suitors.

EOTK FPL Gameweek 14 Review : HOLD Trippier? The long-term view, Zinchenko’s time to shine? Eject your Villans?

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Liverpool may be forced to review their January plans if Cheick Doucoure was in the frame to be targeted in the winter transfer window.

Pete O’Rourke of Football Insider now reports that a deal would be ‘impossible’ after the Malian ruptured his Achilles tendon during a 2-1 defeat to Luton Town.

The 23-year-old had been heavily linked to the Merseysiders in the summer, with the club instead opting to land Stuttgart’s Wataru Endo.

READ MORE: ‘They look the real deal’: Didi Hamann’s honest verdict on Arsenal v Liverpool in title challenge with Man City

READ MORE: Didi Hamann says 24-year-old Liverpool ace still hasn’t got going yet; Reds ‘will be a force’ when he does

Would Liverpool have gone back in for Doucoure?

It seems highly unlikely, with all due respect to Doucoure, that our recruitment team would have pushed to secure his signature in the winter.

Whilst the former Lens man is admittedly being asked to play a different role to that which he was tasked with in France, Alexis Mac Allister’s superb start to the season leaves us in no doubt over Jurgen Klopp’s feelings on the matter.

The No.10 is very much a trusted quantity in this Liverpool squad – not merely just a placeholder until a pure No.6 comes along.

In that respect, and in a similar manner to how we likely feel about Andre Trindade, it will take a rather special operator in the holding midfield role to push ‘Macca’ out of the way.

EOTK FPL Gameweek 14 Review : HOLD Trippier? The long-term view, Zinchenko’s time to shine? Eject your Villans?

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Didi Hamann has backed Liverpool to be a potential title contender this term amid an encouraging campaign.

Asked to choose between his old club and Mikel Arteta’s table-topping Arsenal side, the 50-year-old threw his weight behind the former, arguing that ‘they look the real deal’.

“I think they’ve (Liverpool) got a chance to go all the way this season. I don’t see why not,” the former Red spoke on BBC Radio 5 Live Breakfast. “Obviously City are the ones to beat. If you ask me to pick between Arsenal and Liverpool (to challenge), I’d go for Liverpool. They look the real deal.”

Jurgen Klopp’s men find themselves only two points behind the Gunners in second following their 4-3 win over Fulham.

READ MORE: Didi Hamann says 24-year-old Liverpool ace still hasn’t got going yet; Reds ‘will be a force’ when he does

READ MORE: ‘What worries me’: BBC pundit predicts Liverpool vs Sheffield United result ahead of ‘imminent’ change

Manchester City remain the ones to beat

The Premier League table indicates that a number of pundits may have to revise their earlier predictions made around the start of the campaign.

Admittedly, how many could have truly predicted such an astonishing turnaround after we completely revitalised our midfield in the summer?

Still, with us having already ticked off several challenging fixtures – including trips to the Etihad, Amex, Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, St. James’ Park and Stamford Bridge – we’re feeling rather confident about the ties that remain.

It’ll still take a big points haul, of course, to secure the title whilst a Pep Guardiola-managed Manchester City are knocking about around the top of the table!

EOTK FPL Gameweek 14 Review : HOLD Trippier? The long-term view, Zinchenko’s time to shine? Eject your Villans?

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Liverpool are already quite the force to be reckoned with as things currently stand, having leapfrogged Manchester City in the league table.

Didi Hamann reckons his old side could go up a gear, however, if Darwin Nunez can manage to further refine his game.

“They’re a well-drilled machine. They have the mentality. They find ways to win games,” the German spoke on BBC Radio 5 Live Breakfast. “And Nunez hasn’t really hit the ground running – when he starts scoring, I think Liverpool will be a force. I can see them going all the way, yes.”

The 24-year-old failed to hit the back of the net in the 4-3 win over Fulham and hasn’t registered a goal or assist in his last three games in all competitions.

READ MORE: ‘What worries me’: BBC pundit predicts Liverpool vs Sheffield United result ahead of ‘imminent’ change

READ MORE: Liverpool fans will now be salivating over PL fixture as Man Utd dressing room details emerge

Should Liverpool be worried about Nunez?

Goodness gracious, no!

Even with a blank in three games, the Uruguayan still finds himself on an appealing 13 goal contributions in 20 games.

As far as contributions per minute are concerned, Nunez is operating at a goal or assist every 83.15 minutes.

Whilst that figure has most certainly seen better days this season alone, there can be no questioning the fact that the former Benfica man continues to offer something of value to this Liverpool side even when he isn’t fulfilling his traditional objective.

There were two pre-assists for our third and final goal against the Cottagers for instance, with the centre-forward knocking down the ball Mo Salah would tee up for Wataru Endo before playing a dangerous ball back into the box ahead of Trent Alexander-Arnold’s winner.

That’s also whilst overlooking how close our No.9 came to hitting the back of the net at Anfield, striking the woodwork in the second-half.

We can point the finger at the big chances missed – and, of course, Nunez still has some growing to do – but there’s still plenty to enjoy.

EOTK FPL Gameweek 14 Review : HOLD Trippier? The long-term view, Zinchenko’s time to shine? Eject your Villans?

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Paul Heckingbottom’s reportedly impending exit from Sheffield United will have had many a Liverpool fan’s eyes rolling ahead of the two sides’ meeting on Wednesday.

Regardless, BBC columnist Chris Sutton hasn’t any doubt that the Reds will still make short work of the Blades in South Yorkshire.

“Paul Heckingbottom’s departure as Sheffield United manager appears to be imminent, and it will not exactly be surprising to see him go after their past couple of results against Bournemouth and Burnley,” the pundit wrote for BBC Sport.

“A new voice always makes the first game after a change of manager really interesting but, whether or not Chris Wilder gets the job, I don’t see it making much difference for the Blades here, because what worries me is how brittle they are at the back.

“Liverpool did amazingly well to come back to beat Fulham on Sunday and they are right in the thick of the title race now. This should be a much more straightforward victory for Jurgen Klopp’s side, who have got the firepower to win comfortably.”

The Merseysiders find themselves in second-place in the Premier League following a remarkable 4-3 win over Fulham.

READ MORE: Liverpool fans will now be salivating over PL fixture as Man Utd dressing room details emerge

READ MORE: Liverpool poised to bank millions as ‘largest’ ever £6.7bn behind-the-scenes deal agreed

Another must-win for Jurgen Klopp’s men

Though the possibility of a new coach in the opposing technical area always fills fans with a sense of dread over the anticipated ‘new manager bounce’ phenomenon, it’s worth pointing out that we’re still coming up against the worst defence in the league.

Our hosts-to-be have already conceded a whopping 39 goals this term – 19 of which were shipped at Bramall Lane – which is hardly a positive indication of their defensive credentials.

Coming off the back of four goals registered against Marco Silva’s men at Anfield, this is a Liverpool side full of confidence and, evidently, goals.

Though nothing is certain in the Premier League, the signs aren’t exactly comforting for our hosts.

EOTK FPL Gameweek 14 Review : HOLD Trippier? The long-term view, Zinchenko’s time to shine? Eject your Villans?

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Things could quickly go from bad to worse for Manchester United ahead of their meeting with Liverpool in the middle of December.

Rob Dawson of ESPN now reports that a ‘group within the first-team squad are becoming disillusioned’ and of concerns around the dressing room mood dipping even further unless results improve.

It’s a reality that’s sure to fill travelling Red Devils fans’ hearts with much in the way of hope for when they pay a visit to Anfield on 17th December.

READ MORE: Liverpool poised to bank millions as ‘largest’ ever £6.7bn behind-the-scenes deal agreed

READ MORE: Liverpool’s 83-touch colossus just posted a 10/10 defensive performance vs LASK

Could Liverpool be set to humble Manchester United again?

Whilst one can never be certain just how United will react to the challenge of facing Jurgen Klopp’s men – and a renewed Liverpool side at that – the odds are certainly stacked against the later visitors as things stand.

Following a couple of heavy defeats at L4, we’re certainly more than hopeful on our end that we can replicate the demolition jobs of March this year and in 2022 to further highlight the growing divide between the red halves of Manchester and Merseyside.

With an opportunity to rest key stars ahead of the 17th, after securing our status as group winners in the Europa League with a game to spare, we’ll have every opportunity to prepare for the meeting as we’d like.

#Ep96 of The Empire of the Kop Podcast: EOTK Insider with Neil Jones

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Liverpool are among the Premier League outfits surely poised to earn an increase in top-flight revenue following the conclusion of live UK package deals with Sky Sports and TNT Sports.

The agreement in question will see live rights value rise by four per cent as part of a £6.7bn delivery in revenue over a four-year process (from 2025/26 onwards) – the ‘largest sports media rights deals ever concluded in the UK’, according to the Premier League’s official website.

Sky Sports are the ultimate winners of the arrangement, having secured a dominant share of the live rights, snapping up packages B through to D (a minimum of 215 live matches per season).

READ MORE: Liverpool’s 83-touch colossus just posted a 10/10 defensive performance vs LASK

READ MORE: Monstrous: 20-year-old Liverpool speedster welcomed LASK to hell in first-half

The Premier League stays in the green

Despite fears over when the Premier League’s meteoric financial rise will reach its natural apex, the English top-flight continues to pull the big bucks when it comes to live rights.

It remains to be seen how exactly this will affect Liverpool’s revenue numbers, though even a four per cent increase on the prior process’ result will surely be at least reasonably beneficial for our coffers.

It’s not a benefit that will be solely enjoyed by ourselves, of course, though one might imagine our competitors abroad in La Liga, Serie A, Bundesliga and Ligue 1 will all be looking over somewhat jealously at the Premier League’s ongoing financial growth.

#Ep96 of The Empire of the Kop Podcast: EOTK Insider with Neil Jones

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There come moments in football where even the most gifted of players are left awestruck by what their teammates accomplish on the pitch.

Case in point: Trent Alexander-Arnold’s reaction to Alexis Mac Allister’s ‘majestic’, as Liverpool’s official X (formerly Twitter) account aptly put it, goal against Fulham.

Footage shared on socials shows the No.66 palming his face with both hands after the World Cup winner’s long-range effort struck the top right corner of the net.

He most certainly won’t have been alone there!

You can catch the clip below, courtesy of @LFC:

Absolutely majestic from @alemacallister pic.twitter.com/KCMAuXEHzY

— Liverpool FC (@LFC) December 3, 2023

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By Leo Rutherford 

The following is a guest article by the aforementioned author and is not necessarily representative of opinions held by anyone at Empire of the Kop…

The Reds conducted a major overhaul in their engine room over the summer transfer window, with five Anfield long-stays preceding the four new arrivals of Alexis Mac Allister, Dominik Szoboszlai, Ryan Gravenberch and Wataru Endo. Jürgen Klopp publicly admitted that he felt that “it was time” to transform the middle of the park from the oldest midfield in the Premier League to one of the youngest, and the success of ‘Liverpool 2.0’ thus far has certainly been epitomised by their renewed energy in this area of the pitch.

Liverpool recouped north of £50m for the departing Fabinho and Henderson, whilst Milner, Oxlade-Chamberlain and Keita parted ways at the end of their respective contracts. The quintet were, of course, prominent members of a high-flying side that delivered the Premier League, Champions League, FA Cup etc., yet their roles would diminish by the end of last season.

Injury woes in this department are nothing new for a side who have suffered greatly from availability crises in recent seasons; young duo Fabio Carvalho and Harvey Elliot were even thrown into the deep end in last season’s away Merseyside Derby. Significantly, the Reds’ new Hungarian number 8 has already doubled the total combined Premier League minutes that Keita and Oxlade-Chamberlain registered last season, also boasting just two hundred fewer minutes to his name than the total of Thiago in the entirety of the previous campaign.

Thus far, Liverpool’s new-look midfield has been the necessary glue between a free-flowing attacking force and a tight defensive unit which has shipped the joint least goals in the division (10), as Klopp’s side sit just one point behind table toppers Manchester City. Let’s take a closer look at how such a transformation has been made possible…

Defensive midfield

Cries for the Reds to bolster their virtually non-existent holding midfield options were as loud as ever in the summer, but the manner in which the problem was addressed was certainly unconventional. Brazilian star Fabinho had reached extraordinary heights in Liverpool red as he elevated himself to the world’s greatest in the position at one stage, being named in the UEFA Champions League team of the season in 2021-22. Yet, the now-Al Ittihad midfielder’s rapid decline in the final twelve months of his tenure was brutal enough to lead to a total rethink in the #6 position behind the walls at the AXA.

The £35m acquisition of Alexis Mac Allister from Brighton back in June led to discourse surrounding whether the World Cup winner could add goals to the Liverpool midfield. Instead, the 24-year-old has begun his Anfield tenure in a deeper area of the pitch, predominantly featuring behind Dominik Szoboszlai and Curtis Jones in the midfield three. 37% of Mac Allister’s minutes on the south coast came as a number six under Graham Potter and Roberto De Zerbi, so it’s certainly not a totally unfamiliar adjustment for the Argentine to make.

Graphic via Sky Sports

The tricky midfielder possesses a wholly different skillset to the mainstays in the DM position from recent years, most notably Fabinho and Henderson. Anfield scouts will have been alerted to Mac Allister’s impressive press-resistance which led to him recording the fourth lowest turnover rate out of all Premier League midfielders last season, being one of the main creative outlets in a possession-comfy De Zerbi team. The former Brighton man has certainly at least brought considerably more on-ball security to the table, despite the clear defensive deficiencies.

Graphic created via DataMB tool. Mac Allister 23/24 (blue) vs Fabinho 22/23 (green)

The data certainly supports this view – Mac Allister’s arrival has led to a stark improvement in possession, but is of course led by his predecessor in terms of individual duels. The remarkable disparity between the two in the progressive carries and progressive passes department visualises Liverpool’s idea to utilise a player with immense technical security deeper in the pitch, to effortlessly progress play and break the lines. An ability to carry the ball twenty to thirty yards up the pitch from deep is an invaluable asset for a team, and is evidently a much more consistent aspect of Mac Allister’s game than Fabinho’s.

Eyebrows were certainly raised across the football world when 30-year-old Japan international Wataru Endo traded a Bundesliga relegation dogfight with Stuttgart for the glamour of Liverpool. The failure to land key summer targets Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia clearly led to a rethink in strategy, after which a more traditional and aggressive option was snapped up in Endo.

As expected, the new acquisition has started in all four of the opening Europa League clashes, but has also found his name in the starting eleven of a Premier League team sheet twice, in the absence of suspended seniors. Indisputably, Endo displayed his most complete performance in a Liverpool shirt in the 5-1 hammering of Toulouse: registering a goal, five tackles, three interceptions and two key passes.

Endo’s defensive action map in the recent 3-0 home victory against Brentford.

Right central midfield

The decision for long-serving captain Jordan Henderson to depart was seemingly an event that no one at the club had anticipated, but the Reds have coped just fine in his absence. RB Leipzig star Dominik Szoboszlai’s £60m release clause was triggered in July, and neither he nor Liverpool have looked back since.

Dubbed the ‘complete midfielder’ that hasn’t been present in the Anfield ranks since the legendary Steven Gerrard, Szoboszlai has proved his worth as an all-action midfielder with the genuine ability to dictate the game at his spectacular best. Two stunning piledrivers against Aston Villa and Leicester City have provided hope that the Hungarian can become the first Liverpool midfielder to register double figures in the goal charts since Phillipe Coutinho in 2017/18, with the goalscoring numbers plummeting hugely in this department since the Brazilian’s departure.

Despite his clear contributions in the pinnacle years of the Klopp era, the former Reds skipper endured one of the toughest seasons of his spell at the club last season, on the right of the midfield three. Defensively, the ageing Henderson struggled to maintain the strong engine required to cover for the offensive Trent Alexander-Arnold, and, offensively, there was a scarce amount of creativity or precision in his attempts to create chances in his final season in Merseyside.

Graph created using MCLach Bot

It’s perhaps unsurprising to learn that Hungary have gone 12 matches unbeaten, the longest current streak in European international football, since the 23-year-old was appointed as captain. His capacity to break the lines and unlock defences has paid dividends for Liverpool so far, creating countless chances for the record-breaking Mo Salah who has relished the early months of his time spent with the new-look midfield. For a large portion of last season, the Reds’ midfield was often labelled as ‘sluggish’ and ‘predictable’; two traits which certainly cannot be attributed to the in-form Hungarian.

The very best of Szoboszlai was unleashed in last month’s comfortable home victory over Nottingham Forest, where he registered two assists and four key passes, as well as the typically reliable off-the-ball performance.

Left central midfield

Dutch youth international Ryan Gravenberch was a player on Liverpool’s radar for a number of years before his switch to Bayern Munich on a free last summer, but the 21-year-old was quickly discarded in Bavaria by Thomas Tuchel. A £34m deal to bring the midfielder to Anfield was agreed on Deadline Day despite late drama surrounding Bayern’s inability to sign replacement target Joao Palhinha from Fulham.

When fit, Thiago has certainly added another dimension or two to his role on the left of the two ‘eight’ roles, and evolved Liverpool’s midfield into a more technically secure unit.

Gravenberch’s remarkable athleticism has undoubtedly made a difference in the middle of the park in his opening appearances this season, but it’s his on-ball prowess that provided a very welcome surprise for Liverpool supporters this season. The summer arrival possesses great ball-carrying talent, can break the lines with his incisive passing and dribbling, whilst being able to comfortably drop into the No.6 position to progress the play from deep. Already, Gravenberch’s profile has attracted premature comparisons to the likes of Yaya Toure and Paul Pogba for his elegance on the ball despite being one of the tallest midfielders in the Premier League.

Goals against Union Saint-Gilloise and Toulouse in the Europa League have served as a breath of fresh air for a side who have deeply struggled for goals from the centre of the pitch for a number of years. It shouldn’t come as a surprise, however, as the youngster was averaging 2.73 shot-creating actions per 90 during his time in the Eredivisie; most of the Dutchman’s tenure was spent playing in a double pivot under Erik Ten Hag.

Comparison graph – Ryan Gravenberch (blue) vs Curtis Jones (red). 2023/24 stats, created using MCLach Bot

Before the contentious red card offence in September’s defeat at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Curtis Jones was relishing his opportunity as a mainstay on the left of Liverpool’s midfield three. Jones had unarguably turned a corner when presented with a regular advanced midfield role in the starting lineup towards the end of last season, coinciding with an upturn in results as the Reds ended the season unbeaten in their last 11 Premier League games. Healthy competition is beneficial for every successful team, and Liverpool finally seem to have that in abundance this season.

As shown in the data, the 22-year-old Scouser holds up fairly well in most metrics against the newly arriving Gravenberch, yet there are notable differences in terms of chance creation and progressive dribbling. The Dutchman leads in ball-carrying as well as both key and progressive passing, reaffirming his rare technical profile for a player of his size. Inevitably, there are areas of Gravenberch’s name which still need to be ironed out; he is averaging almost double the amount of turnovers as Jones this season – perhaps emphasising the need to be safer in possession on occasions.

On the defensive end, the capped Netherlands midfielder naturally leads Jones in most metrics due to his years of experience playing in a double pivot, boasting impressive interception and aerial numbers. However, and perhaps surprisingly, it is the young Englishman who holds the considerably higher percentage of dribblers tackled as he continues to evolve from a left-sided attacking academy prodigy to a technically safe all-action midfielder with the total trust of the manager, as it would seem.

In short, despite some noticeable shortfalls in defending transitions, Liverpool’s transformed midfield is performing exceptionally stronger than that of last season, where the Reds recorded their lowest league finish since 2015-16. The talented Spanish pair of Stefan Bajcetic and Thiago Alcantara are yet to feature for the Reds in the Premier League this season, and yet Klopp’s side find themselves in a position with genuine aspirations of their 20th title. Whether another defensive-minded midfielder enters the doors of the AXA Training Centre in January remains to be seen, but the once inescapable plethora of rumours surrounding the potential signing of Andre Trindade from Fluminense have certainly dissolved since the Copa Libertadores final.

The post GUEST: A deep dive into Liverpool’s midfield transformation appeared first on The Empire of The Kop.

A good result on Merseyside and a perfect end to the evening overall as elsewhere results fell in Liverpool’s favour to see them safely through to the knockouts in the Europa League.

Alexis Mac Allister’s brother, Kevin, and Royal Union St. Gilloise helped secure a goalless draw in France to ensure the Reds won their group with a game to spare.

Whilst plenty is sure to be written about the number of goals the hosts could (and should) have gone on to score at Anfield, credit is due for the defensive display on show from Joe Gomez and Co.

READ MORE: Monstrous: 20-year-old Liverpool speedster welcomed LASK to hell in first-half

READ MORE: ‘Few come close’: Paul Merson says 25-y/o Liverpool player is absolutely unstoppable on the ball

Liverpool’s squad delivers yet again

Wow. Just wow. We mentioned Harvey Elliott not that long ago after the Englishman showcased his creative powers against the Austrian outfit.

But goodness gracious – we can’t overlook just how integral our former Charlton Athletic prospect was, first as a right-back, and secondly slotting in alongside Jarell Quansah following the first round of substitutions.

Joe Gomez’s stats vs LASK

83 touches
1 clearance
1 blocked shot
4 interceptions
2 tackles
6/6 ground duels won
82% pass accuracy [47/57]
3 key passes
1 big chance created
3/3 dribbles completed

What a performance for Liverpool in the Europa League #LFC pic.twitter.com/dd5sA43v7u

— Farrell Keeling (@farrellkeeling) November 30, 2023

The 26-year-old won 100% of the ground duels he engaged in and offered a creative outlet out wide.

What more could you ask from one of our underrated fringe stars?

#Ep96 of The Empire of the Kop Podcast: EOTK Insider with Neil Jones

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Darwin Nunez may be increasingly known for the more lethal side to his game, though the Uruguayan unquestionably has a soft side that’ll only further endear him to the fanbase.

The former Benfica star came onto the pitch for Luis Diaz and was, rather adorably, spotted clapping enthusiastically for his teammate before sweeping him up in his arms.

How could you possibly not like the adorable centre-forward?

You can catch the clip below, courtesy of @footballontnt:

Darwin Nunez Luis Diaz pic.twitter.com/Yfk14lDfat

— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) November 30, 2023

The post (Video) What Nunez did immediately before Diaz sub will have fans swooning appeared first on The Empire of The Kop.

Liverpool were by far and out the superior side to visitors LASK, and that was due in no small part to the efforts of Harvey Elliott.

The 20-year-old was a highly effective creative force for the hosts, registering three key passes and one big chance, according to stats collected by Sofascore.

Harvey Elliott’s had a very good evening so far #LFC

42 touches
79% pass accuracy
3 key passes
1 big chance created
2/3 ground duels won
1 tackle pic.twitter.com/dLyCQWuCWn

— Farrell Keeling (@farrellkeeling) November 30, 2023

The Merseysiders find themselves three goals to the good at Anfield, securing a comfortable lead courtesy of Luis Diaz, Cody Gakpo and Mo Salah.

READ MORE: ‘Few come close’: Paul Merson says 25-y/o Liverpool player is absolutely unstoppable on the ball

READ MORE: Fabrizio Romano finally answers Liverpool transfer question fans keep asking him about

Liverpool’s fringe players continue to delight

What a season Harvey Elliott is having. The England youth international has not been a guaranteed starter for Jurgen Klopp when it has come to the English top-flight, but boy has he delivered when called upon.

He may not be on the scoresheet thus far, but don’t doubt that the attacking midfielder’s fingerprints have been all over our dominant showing against the Austrian outfit.

It’s yet further proof of just how pivotal our fringe players have been in 2023/24 as we look to compete on all fronts.

#Ep96 of The Empire of the Kop Podcast: EOTK Insider with Neil Jones

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If it makes Kostas Tsimikas feel any better, his nearly-worldie goal would have been ruled out for offside had it flown in under the bar.

But by God what a strike it was from the Greek international, who struck the ball with some venom from the corner of the 18-yard box.

Tobias Lawal was utterly powerless to stop the thunderbolt of an attempt on goal and it’s still such a shame that it didn’t creep under the bar, offside or no!

You can catch the clip below, courtesy of @RoomOfPL:

Tsimikas inches away from a worldie! OFF THE BAR!pic.twitter.com/ePgy5HnmTl

— Liverpool vs Fulham Live Stream (@RoomOfPL) November 30, 2023

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LASK will have been left wondering what on earth they could have done better against a Liverpool side that was in no mood to show mercy.

Cody Gakpo quickly followed up Luis Diaz’s headed opener with a goal from close-range to finish a lovely team move.

The Dutchman’s superb movement saw him free at the far post, with Mo Salah providing a sumptuous chipped pass to find his attacking teammate with the empty net gaping.

You can catch the clip below, courtesy of TNT Sports’ X account:

Cody Gakpo doubles Liverpool's lead!

It hasn't taken long for them to stamp their mark on the game! #UEL pic.twitter.com/6utdvz4cfL

— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) November 30, 2023

The post (Video) 2 goals in 3 minutes: Cody Gakpo finishes off ruthless Liverpool move vs LASK appeared first on The Empire of The Kop.