Kostas Tsimikas finally made his full Premier League debut at the weekend as Liverpool beat Norwich 3-0. The Greek left-back showed everyone what he can do.
So that’s what Kostas Tsimikas is about. The 25-year-old made his full Premier League debut against Norwich, a year after joining for around £12m.
We went into this one with some excitement. This was a chance to see how Tsimikas can really play in a proper first-team and plenty of pressure.
No rotated lineups, no token minutes at the end of a game – a real chance to show what he can bring to Liverpool.
And Tsimikas did just that against Norwich. This was a very encouraging performance, even if it wasn’t perfect.
Jurgen Klopp admitted after the game that the Greek slowed down as the game went on.
“Kostas played very good,” said Klopp, per the Liverpool Echo’s Paul Gorst. “Then someone pulled the plug but that is normal, he played a really good game.”
We’ll put that down to exhaustion or complacency – either way, it’s something Liverpool can fix. We’re not worried about that drop-off.
But what about the things Tsimikas did well? How encouraged should we be?
Tsimikas vs Norwich
Tsimikas is in the squad do a few things at left-back. Essentially, he’s there to replicate Andy Robertson when the Scot isn’t in the side.
So that means Liverpool need him bombing up and down the line, stopping opposition wingers, and getting crosses into the box. Tsimikas certainly did all of that.
The left-back won three tackles in the game, as well as two interceptions. Two of those tackles came in the defensive third and one in the attacking. You can’t ask for much more.
But what really stood out to us was how well Tsimikas brought the ball forward. He carried the ball into the final third on four occasions – twice as many as any other Liverpool player.
In fact, only six Premier League players beat that figure and the only full-back to was Joao Cancelo. Decent company.
The crossing could do with some work, though. Tsimikas only completed one, though he did manage four passes into the final third. That’s a decent number (equal with Trent Alexander-Arnold).
So all in all, Tsimikas gets a thumbs up from us. This was a very solid full debut and one he can certainly build on.
Give him a few more games to iron out the wrinkles and there’s little doubt that Tsimikas can be a really solid option for Liverpool.