Liverpool defender Nat Phillips was entirely to blame for Crystal Palace’s goal at Anfield on Monday night.
That’s according to TalkSPORT pundit Dean Saunders. Speaking on air today, Saunders said that although it may be harsh to blame Phillips, he cost Liverpool a goal.
“It’s a bit harsh for me to say it, but Nat Philips has got caught, schoolboy defending,” said the former Liverpool striker. “Eze picked the ball up in midfield, Zaha’s left on the halfway line with two defenders marking him. He took one step towards the ball and spun in behind Nat Phillips.
“I don’t think that goal would’ve happened if Gomez was playing, if Matip was playing and if Konate was playing. So he was fourth choice to put in. I don’t like having a go at players who try, because he tried Nat Phillips.”
Liverpool’s high line comes unstuck at Anfield
As the man who let Zaha run off him into acres of space at The Kop end on Monday, Phillips is an easy target.
But had it been Gomez, Matip, Konate or Even Virgil Van Dijk, the result might have actually been the same.
That’s because it isn’t in Liverpool’s nature to drop their defensive line. Whichever of The Reds’ centre-back’s had been there, they would have used exactly the same tactic.
So it wasn’t that what Phillips attempted was wrong, he was likely following the coaches instructions. Perhaps he could have been slightly quicker to get out, but the through-ball from Eze was absolutely perfect. Watching the replay back, Phillips so very nearly gets it right.
Of course when you’re so high up the pitch, there’s no margin for error. Any tiny delay could easily lead to a goal.
Instead of blaming Phillips individually, it’s more a case of Liverpool’s infamously high-line being caught out. Had the 25-year-old been a more regular starter, he could have got out slightly earlier, but there wasn’t much in it.
If fingers are to be pointed though, then they should be done at the players who failed to prevent the pass in the first place. Fabinho and Trent Alexander-Arnold were both in a position to stop Eze, but let him skip past them far too easily.
These things happen in football, though. Sometimes you also just have to hold your hands up and say it was a heck of a pass, and a heck of a finish.
Receive a digest of our best Liverpool content each week direct to your mailbox
