Man of the Match: ‘Commanding’ Liverpool Star Runs the Show Against Chelsea | OneFootball

Liverpool 2 – 1 Chelsea – Man of the Match

Curtis Jones

The monstrous captain of Liverpool, Virgil van Dijk, continues to defy his 33-years of age, as he stands alone as the greatest central defender on the planet. As an all-time great that is perhaps unmatched in the history of the game, his pace, power, aerial prowess, decision making, commanding presence, and leadership, are just a few of the superlatives that best describe the reds defensive colossus. His performance was vital to this win over Chelsea; however, the man of the match plaudits must head the way of the academy graduate that influenced the scoreline, Curtis Jones.

I wrote just last week, a piece that detailed the importance of the cultured and versatile central midfielder, for both club and country. His high-level ability and intelligence on the pitch allows him to operate in any of the three Arne Slot midfield positions, something which is vital to the ongoing regeneration. When he was required to hold and screen the backline, he was mature and instinctive in his work. When he was tasked with controlling tempo and patterns of play, he was a solid deputy for the rested sensation, Alexis Mac Allister. Today, when the need to penetrate the 18-yard box was needed (within a very tight and tactical encounter), the homegrown hero was on point to deliver at multiple points in the game.

Photo: IMAGO

Jones’ Impact

The first penalty decision (and subsequent opening goal), was due to the 23-year-old and his ability to create confusion when Chelsea were attempting to clear their lines. That first half foul was later followed up by another penalty shout, one which was initially given by the on pitch official and probably should have stood the VAR intervention. It would be the second half where the most significant contribution availed itself, as after countless moments of on and off ball work, his perfectly timed run into the Chelsea penalty area enabled the winning goal to be scored, which gave his teammates and pitch side steward something to fight for.

Today against a very solid and well-organized west London outfit, Curtis Jones scored and created the penalty which enabled three vital points. Within that superb performance was a terrific ability to deliver on pitch intelligence and it showed why he is coveted by his new boss, as much as he was his predecessor. The need for elite level teams to have between 18-22 first team ready assets is upon us, with todays the man of the match showing just how important he can be to this title challenging season, as well as many more to come.

The reds are top and the Anfield crowd jubilant. Hopefully this afternoons tremendous win can aid in the deserved respect that should follow the name of Curtis Jones, who controlled that middle ground with excellence.

Pre-match Prediction: Liverpool 2 – 1 Chelsea