4 tackles, 86% passing: ‘World-class’ Liverpool player comes off the bench to force his way into the XI

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Joe Gomez did what no other Liverpool player could vs Arsenal on Sunday. The defender came off the bench to impress.

Liverpool were a mixed bag against Arsenal, to say the least. Joe Gomez did give them something to shout about, though, with a very impressive 45 minutes at the Emirates.

Gomez came on for Trent Alexander-Arnold, who had a busy day defending against multiple Arsenal players. The first Gunners goal, inside the opening minute, saw the right-back with three players to cover. It was an incredible breakdown from Liverpool and one the 24-year-old Alexander-Arnold was never going to deal with.

His injury forced a half-time change, allowing Gomez to come into the game. It’s safe to say that the defender impressed, as he won more tackles than any player on either side. That’s despite only playing half the game.

Gomez completed a fantastic 86% of his passes, too. Only Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk and Joel Matip beat that out of the starting XI. On a day where Arsenal pressed hard and high, Gomez coped well.

Joe Gomez vs Arsenal

It’s worth mentioning that Gomez’s tackling came out of four attempts. Arsenal tried to get past him but couldn’t – and that’s food for thought.

Liverpool have been vulnerable to runners, after all, but Gomez offers them a right-back who could nullify threats. It’s a particularly important consideration as Manchester City are the next Premier League opponents.

Given Alexander-Arnold’s struggles even with the ball, this would be enough for us to start Gomez at right-back next weekend. The truth is, though, that injury likely puts Gomez into the XI by default.

Based on this performance, that’s not a bad thing. Liverpool will likely still try to attack with four players and Gomez offers an extra layer of safety behind that.