The cherry on top of the cake for Liverpool against Arsenal at the weekend was two brilliant cameos by exciting youngsters from the club’s academy. Both Conor Bradley and Bobby Clark came on and never looked out of place.
Bradley stood out with the way he minimised Gabriel Martinelli’s impact on the game. Meanwhile, Clark was a lively nuisance in the middle of the park and picked up a clever tactical yellow card to halt Arsenal in their tracks.
Both are still very young but they are regarded in extremely high regard at the club. Bradley is seen as a player who has the potential to provide cover for Trent Alexander-Arnold in the right-back position. Meanwhile, Clark is viewed as a prospect who can play in Klopp’s first team in the midfield in the future.
Conor Bradley on Alexander-Arnold advice
Coming on at the Emirates against Arsenal is never easy. But it’s especially difficult for a youngster. Thankfully, Liverpool’s captain on the pitch, Alexander-Arnold, was someone who had been there and done it.
So, when Bradley came on, the Liverpool captain was able to give the youngster valuable advice.
“As soon as I came on, Trent told me to force him [Martinelli] inside and he’ll be there to cover me,” Bradley revealed to The Athletic. “So any time he tried to take me on, I just tried to do that. I think I did alright against him, so I’m happy.”
Bradley is being humble. He didn’t just do ‘alright’ he put in a terrific cameo and won an important tackle. During the brief time he spent on the pitch, he completely took Martinelli out of the game. The Arsenal winger has tormented most senior full-backs this season, so that says a lot about Bradley’s talent and ability.
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