Liverpool hit at West Ham United like lightning on Tuesday night, turning a maxim on its head to strike twice with a 5-1 thrashing over the east Londoners for the second year running in the Carabao Cup.
In the early stage of the contest, Anfield was, frankly, flat. The visitors hurled efforts toward Caoimhin Kelleher’s goal in the opening as they sought to capitalise – and they did, Jarell Quansah and Co culpable of a disastrous attempt to clear a corner, turning into their own net.
Diogo Jota restored parity after 20 minutes but the Reds storm was truly ignited in the second half, with the goals lashed in and ending the contest with Liverpool 5-1 victors.
It was a big one for several players looking to stake their claim, and while his performance was imperfect, Wataru Endo will be pleased with the job he did at the heart of Slot’s set-up.
Wataru Endo stakes his claim
The Liverpool Echo’s Ian Doyle only handed Endo a 5/10 match score for his display against West Ham, praising the tough midfielder’s combative commitment but noting that he struggled to really impose himself and didn’t contribute with the smooth forward passing that Ryan Gravenberch brings to the position.
The journalist wrote: ‘Showcased a steel that is perhaps absent from Liverpool’s midfield when he doesn’t play. Won a fair few duels but not always the most progressive in his passing. His attempt at a clearance for West Ham’s goal was pure panic as it struck Quansah and went in.’
Still, he’s a fine option and afforded Gravenberch a much-needed rest, with the Dutchman having played every minute of the 2024/25 campaign for club and country before the cup clash.
Minutes played
82′
Touches
66
Accurate passes
44/47 (94%)
Key passes
1
Dribbles (completed)
2 (0)
Ball recoveries
7
Tackles
2
Interceptions
1
Ground duels (won)
8 (2)
Alexis Mac Allister came on with just over 30 minutes remaining and added so much impetus, creating one big chance and hitting the woodwork with a stinging strike from range. Gravenberch, indeed, didn’t play, but the 22-year-old plays a very different role than Endo within Slot’s system, one better suited to the way the boss wants to operate.
Gravenberch has averaged 1.2 successful dribbles per game in the Premier League this year, with a success rate of 60%. Moreover, he’s won 58% of his ground duels, outstripping Endo in both accuracy and output, averaging 5.2 per game.
The Japan international is a good utility option but you can see that Slot’s style might be knocked off-kilter if Gravenberch were to pick up a lengthy injury.
Endo, though, played well, and it provided Liverpool with something different. Multi-dimensionality is crucial for a team looking to chase down trophies across different routes, and the Japan star has already got one Carabao Cup title in the bag – who’s to say he can’t play a leading role in another?
That said, with Martin Zubimendi Liverpool’s desired option to have tussled with Gravenberch for a starting spot, there’s an improvement to be made.
Elsewhere, Kostas Tsimikas struggled to prove that he is the best option to compete with Andy Robertson at left-back going forward.
Kostas Tsimikas is not good enough for a starting role
Tsimikas has been a solid servant for Liverpool over the years, signing from Olympiakos for £12m in 2020. He’s completed 91 appearances, claiming 17 assists and winning a host of major honours.
Last season, he was drafted into a regular starting role under Jurgen Klopp in the Premier League as Robertson recuperated from a shoulder injury suffered up in Scotland with the Tartan Army. He ebbed and flowed (Tsimikas, not Robertson. Robertson just kind of stagnated on the sidelines).
Against LASK in the Europa League one year ago, journalist Paul Gorst noted that he didn’t have his “finest hour”, and though the Greece international has a wand of a left foot and a natural-born creative flair, he’s not the complete package, with positioning and awareness that leaves much to be desired.
As you will see from the graphic above, the 28-year-old was by no means poor in regard to his spread of match statistics, taking a blocked shot when Salah was in a better position, failing to make a single attempted dribble and failing to meet the targetted noggin with each of his six crosses, as per Sofascore.
Tsimikas is just a little… one-dimensional. There was a moment that has since entered the roaring stream of social media that saw the defender unconventionally look to protect his goal against Max Kilman, throwing himself to the floor in a wretched attempt to block the shot that never came. It was funny but his blushes were spared. Mirth would have fallen flat had Kilman breached Kelleher’s net.
Losing the ball 19 times, he was eager to make things happen but it didn’t come off, and though he fought well against the energetic Jarrod Bowen, left-back will surely be a position that FSG target before long.
Indeed, Liverpool are long-time admirers of Wolverhampton Wanderers star Rayan Ait-Nouri, whose capacity to underlap and invert could be a welcome addition within the fluid ball-playing system of Slot, with the head coach keen to shift and swell when in possession and on the forward charge.
You have to respect the commitment toward protecting his goal, but Tsimikas was questionable across a series of shaky moments that really did underscore the influence that Virgil van Dijk instils. West Ham’s profligacy precluded their success, but it could have been different against sharper, more confident opposition.
With all this in mind, Tsimikas can’t be in the starting line up for this weekend’s top-flight clash against Wolverhampton Wanderers at Molineux.
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