Joe Gomez, a center-back by trade, started the game as the improvised defensive midfielder he had shown in the FA Cup fifth round victory over Southampton three days earlier. On the hour, he switched to left-back following Andy Robertson’s withdrawal, and with six minutes remaining in normal time, he finished at right-back following Conor Bradley’s substitution.
If the 26-year-old had compiled the playlist for the celebrations in the dressing room following the game, then it wouldn’t have come as a surprise when the team coach was driven back to the AXA Training Centre at Kirkby.
Thus, it is no coincidence that Gomez’s tenacity down the right flank earned the corner from which Alexis Mac Allister eventually headed a cross to the far post, allowing Darwin Nunez to score the thrilling late winner against Nottingham Forest and maintain Liverpool’s lead at the top of the Premier League.
Because the refrain “Ain’t nobody like Joe Gomez” has been played often this season, Reds fans have taken note of this contribution.
After Liverpool’s victory over Southampton in midweek, manager Jurgen Klopp was moved to say, “Joe Gomez saved our lives 20 times tonight.” This statement may have been made in reference to the game, but it could also be taken to mean how the player has filled the holes that have consistently appeared in the Reds’ starting lineup this season.
The fact that Gomez is the only player still playing for Liverpool who was there when Klopp took over in October 2015 underscores the difficulty of
filling so many different roles and the number of serious injury setbacks. Gomez became the 200th player for Liverpool just recently.
No regular time slot has been offered.
Gomez Record-Breaking This Season
However, Gomez has emerged as a major player this season, appearing in 37 of Liverpool’s 42 games and starting 12 of the previous 15.
Liverpool Echo add that he is now just six points short of his career high of 43 from the championship-winning 2019–20 campaign especially remarkable considering that he has only started four games in his ideal defensive center position.
However, something is still lacking. Gomez still hasn’t scored in his career, despite growing calls from the Anfield crowd—which Klopp has even suggested might be reduced—for him to take a shot.
And the Reds manager acknowledges:
“As much as I would love to see it, I am not prepared for it. So I don’t know how I will react, it will be spontaneous. Would I let him take a penalty? Yes, but in the 89th minute! It’s just one of these stories, what a wonderful player he is and I am so happy he can show that again.
“The longer things are going on, the more difficult it is (for Gomez to score). He is not often in the situation, he is protection for the (offensive) set-pieces, he is not even in the area to just get hit by the ball because we need his speed for the protection.
“A transition in his mind from centre-half, full-back, right, left to the number six – if you would have played football at that level, the difference is (huge). All of a sudden the game is coming from all angles, left, right, here or there, all of a sudden, everything has changed and he dealt with it so well, it was crazy. It was really good and super important.”
Gomez Unexpected Future
For the upcoming Wembley friendlies against Brazil and Belgium, England manager Gareth Southgate will name his team on Thursday. It is anticipated that Trent Alexander-Arnold, Manchester United left-back Luke Shaw, and Crystal Palace’s Marc Guehi will be absent.
Then, Gomez, who hasn’t improved on his 11 caps for his nation since sustaining a serious knee injury while working out with England in November 2020, might have a chance. “I am not standing here telling Gareth who he should pick but you can get one player and have four positions covered,” says Klopp. “Wonderful.”
However, Gomez’s relationship with the national team has not always been easy. Playing for Southgate’s under-21 team, he suffered an ACL injury that ended his season just days after Klopp arrived.
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Later, in March 2018, he earned his third cap against Holland, but this time, it was an ankle injury that required surgery and kept him out of the World Cup and the Champions League final. Another incident involved Raheem Sterling and Gomez.
In November 2019, following Liverpool’s victory over Manchester City, the former Reds winger grabbed Gomez by the throat in the canteen to start a fight. Even though the two quickly got along, Gomez later faced taunts from some sections of the Wembley crowd during the Euro 2020 qualifying match against Montenegro.
On the other hand, Liverpool supporters are nothing but admiring. This season has demonstrated that Joe Gomez is unlike anybody else.
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