Rio Ferdinand raved about the pass from Jordan Henderson last night, labelling it ‘absolutely exquisite’ as Liverpool beat Ajax 3-0. The captain made his mark.
Liverpool were up against it for the first 35 minutes against Ajax last night. The hosts needed to win by a couple of goals, after all, while the Reds knew a draw was enough for progression in the Champions League.
On top of that, Jurgen Klopp started with a new formation – a 4-4-2 diamond. Liverpool started slow but eventually found their way to a goal. Mohamed Salah scored it with a fine finish but Jordan Henderson was the one earning praise in the BT Sport studio after the game.
The captain managed to wriggle free on the left flank before getting his head up and picking out Salah in the middle. This was no simple pass, however, as Henderson needed to flick it around the defence with the outside of his foot.
It was undeniable brilliance and Rio Ferdinand loved it.
“It comes down to quality,” he said after the game, “Jordan Henderson, his pass is absolutely exquisite.
“The ball is absolutely phenomenal.”
Jordan Henderson praised for pass
As Ferdinand said, Liverpool needed that moment of quality. Henderson found some with a pass Thiago would have been proud of. Salah then added some more with a wonderful first-time finish.
That’s Liverpool at their best. They played at pace, produced a couple of undefendable moments and suddenly had the lead. It rocked Ajax and the Reds should have had a second minutes later.
It’s also worth mentioning that Henderson’s assist comes right at a time when there’s been a spotlight on the team’s midfield. Liverpool haven’t had many assists at all from their midfielders this season – James Milner is the sole player with one in the Premier League.
This was a reminder of what they can do with some freedom to get forward. Henderson does have the quality to produce in key areas, when he gets in them. He proved that tonight.
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