Saturday afternoon’s 2-0 win over Brighton & Hove Albion was pretty routine for Arne Slot’s Liverpool as they’ve now picked up back-to-back wins in the Premier League. Hugo Ekitike bagged both while Mohamed Salah returned to action after his incendiary comments following their 3-3 draw with Leeds United but the Anfield faithful believe there is one other player worthy of applause.
Scoring inside the first seven seconds, Ekitike gave the reigning champions of the Premier League some hope early on, and they never looked close to losing their lead. The French talisman – playing ahead of £125 million man Alexander Isak – then added another to his tally.
GIVEMESPORT Key Statistic: Hugo Ekitike has scored Liverpool’s first goal in the opening minute of a Premier League game since Naby Keita netted after 15 seconds v Huddersfield in April 2019.
Rising like a salmon in Brighton’s box, Ekitike latched onto the end of Salah’s teasing delivery and Slot would’ve been happy with his side’s display. It’s no secret that Liverpool’s title defence has been nothing short of sloppy – but an emphatic win in front of a buzzing home crowd could certainly lift the spirits. And it wouldn’t have been possible without the performance of one man in particular.
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Not Salah Nor Ekitike, Liverpool Star Praised for Brighton Display
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Ekitike continues to be the man of the moment for Liverpool. The former Eintracht Frankfurt striker’s elegance with the ball and innate ability to score goals is exactly why the Reds decided to pick him up in the summer – but what about those who do not get the flowers they deserve? Curtis Jones, a boyhood Liverpool supporter, is the epitome of just that.
Stationed next to Ryan Gravenberch in the middle third, Jones was as combative as he was creative. He treated the ball with such care, as evidenced by his 94% (72/77) pass accuracy, and made sure that Liverpool controlled the tempo from minute one to 90.
Four of his five attempted dribbles came off, he was dispossessed by his Brighton counterparts on just one occasion and his defensive numbers – two tackles and the same number of clearances and recoveries – is the tip of the iceberg in what was a pretty flawless performance.
Liverpool’s secret weapon, Jones put in another tidy display in the middle of the park – and his influence can no longer go under the radar given the club’s midfield issues. It’s no secret that Slot and company need to freshen up the middle of the park, but the solution to said problem (at least in the short-term) can be fixed in-house by using the Liverpudlian from now on.
“Curtis Jones is the most underrated player in the squad. He’s so good,” one member of the Anfield faithful said on X (formerly Twitter) as another added: “I desperately need Curtis Jones to stay fit for the rest of the season because if he does, he’ll be in some serious conversations.”
“Curtis Jones has been absolutely class this last week. The Scouser in our team. You can see how much he cares about Liverpool and the club winning. Class act. An example for the squad, which seems to have been infectious.”
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“If you still don’t rate Curtis Jones as a footballer, then football just isn’t for you. He’s quality,” a fourth Reds supporter took to X to say, as another added that Jones is ‘overhated’. “People owe Curtis Jones an apology btw. The most overhated player at the club. Excellent again so far.” On his performance against Brighton, a final fan said: “Curtis Jones has been outstanding.”
Should Jones be on the Plane for Thomas Tuchel?
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The midfielder, who marked his 200th appearance for Liverpool with a masterful display against Brighton, may have struggled to nail down a spot in the Reds’ team week in, week out – but could he still be in with a shout of being in the England set-up? At the time of writing, he has six caps to his name, but his tally should, arguably, be much higher. Truthfully, the fact he was sat twiddling his thumbs at home in the November international break is worrying.
Declan Rice is a non-negotiable in the eyes of every England fan, but his engine room partner is yet to be decided. Kobbie Mainoo was the man of the moment at Euro 2024, while it seems that Adam Wharton and Elliot Anderson are currently battling it out to see who will be a vital part of Thomas Tuchel’s plans at the 2026 World Cup.
Lee Carsley
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But what about Jones? Capable of keeping things ticking in the middle of the action, his transformation from being a tricky attacking midfielder to a tempo-setter further back has been joyous to watch and his unique skill set could offer the Three Lions a different route to success in North America. All things considered, he should be on the plane at least
