Liverpool did their job on Wednesday as they cruised to a 2-0 win over Newcastle United.
With Arsenal facing a tough midweek trip to Nottingham Forest, the Reds knew they may have a chance to pull further clear in the Premier League title race with a victory.
As Arsenal struggled to a 0-0 draw at the City Ground, that’s exactly what happened. Liverpool are now 13 points clear at the top of the Premier League table.
Liverpool supporters reacted to the Arsenal result with a song at Anfield, and there is now real belief that this is their year.
If the Reds do go on to lift the trophy in front of their fans in May, the likes of Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk will be the ones getting most of the praise, and rightly so.
But this would be a trophy for the whole Liverpool squad, everyone has contributed. One who has really stepped up of late has been Wataru Endo. And after seeing the Japanese put in another excellent cameo against Newcastle, Arne Slot singled him out once again.
Arne Slot pays homage to ‘special’ Wataru Endo
Rewind to the summer transfer window and it had felt very likely that Endo would be sold. Having failed to impress Slot in pre-season, it was clear the Liverpool head coach wanted a different profile.
However, as the months have gone on, Slot has started to appreciate Endo, regularly bringing him off the bench to help Liverpool see wins over the line.
That was his job once again on Wednesday, and – as usual – the 32-year-old did it to perfection during the final 13 minutes.
Asked about Endo in his post-match press conference, Slot was keen to point out what makes his No.3 such a ‘special’ person to have around the squad.
“I appreciate him a lot as a football player but also as a human being,” said the Dutchman. “Because no matter how many minutes the team needs him [for], he always shows up.”
“The reason why he always shows up – and that is what makes him special, and I’ve said it a few times before – is players, and I have worked with many that were in a similar situation like him, don’t always find the energy to train well the day after a game when they didn’t have playing time or two days after a game.
“But it doesn’t matter which day of the week it is or if he has played, he always gives his best in every training session and, as a result of that, every time the team needs him he shows up. That’s a big compliment for him, that he brings performances in like he did today.”
Endo earns Slot’s trust
There are clearly players in the Liverpool squad who Slot does not trust to make an impact during Premier League games.
Although he may have belonged to this group earlier in the season, Endo has fought his way out.
| Minutes Played | Accurate Passes | Clearances | Interceptions | Touches | |
| Wataru Endo vs Newcastle | 13 | 16/16 | 1 | 1 | 18 |
Slot highlighted Endo as someone Darwin Nunez can learn from after complaining about the Uruguayan’s recent attitude during matches. It’s obvious just how highly the 46-year-old rates him.
And why not? He may not possess the quality of a Ryan Gravenberch or an Alexis Mac Allister, but Endo has proven himself time after time this season.
It remains to be seen whether Wata has a future at Anfield beyond this season. But even if he goes after two years a Red, he has made sure he will always have a place in Liverpool supporters’ hearts.
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