Liverpool breezed into the Carabao Cup semi-finals with a confident win over West Ham United tonight.
It was a much improved display from Liverpool, with several players giving themselves a timely boost ahead of Arsenal’s visit on Saturday.
One of those was Curtis Jones, who has been struggling to make an impact of late. But having got himself on the scoresheet with a finish from a tight angle, Sky Sports commentator Jamie Carragher praised Jones’ performance.
“He has played really well tonight Curtis Jones,” Carragher raved. “When he gets into position he has got a decision to make. More often that not you are looking to pull it back and actually it’s Nunez who does brilliantly. You look up and there is nobody there, he has that glance and then he knows he has to take the shot.
“He goes to go to the goalkeeper’s left, there’s nothing else he can do, I’m sure the goalkeeper is disappointed but great combination play.
“Credit to Curtis Jones reading the situation a lot of times you see people shoot in those situations you see attackers frustrated in the box but there was nobody there.”
Jones earns Carragher praise
Carragher was right to give Jones his due tonight. It wasn’t just the goals – in the end he actually got two – the 22-year-old was fantastic for the full 90 minutes against the Hammers.
Lively and always keen to get himself on the ball, Curtis always looked likely to make something happen.
In the end, there was perhaps a little bit of luck involved in the first one. Having latched onto Nunez’s through ball, the Scouser wasn’t keen to take on the shot.
But with none of his teammates on-hand in the penalty box, Jones didn’t have much choice. Lucky it may have been, but it was perfectly squeezed through.
There was nothing lucky about Jones’ second of the night, though. Picking the ball up just inside the West Ham half, Liverpool’s No.17 got it and just kept on going and going and going.
Slaloming beyond a tired Hammers defence, Jones found the net for the second time in-front of an adoring Kop. What a feeling.
The two-goal display couldn’t have been better timed from Curtis. With places up for grabs in the Liverpool midfield at the moment, he has just put himself right in the picture.
With a few to choose from, Carragher eventually gave the academy graduate the Man of the Match award. Richly deserved on a wonderful night for Jones.
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