There were few complaints from Jurgen Klopp, Liverpool players and fans.Ibrahima Konate tried to voice his opinion, but he knew it would be useless. With the Reds trailing 2-1 at Arsenal, the defender received a second yellow card for bringing down Kai Havertz in the 88th minute and was eventually given his marching orders.
The disappointing display at the Emirates Stadium was compounded by Konate’s red card. The Frenchman now faces a one-match ban when Liverpool face Burnley on Saturday. That means Jurgen Klopp will have to shuffle his bags against the Clarets. Virgil van Dijk needs a new partner in central defense.
Most people would agree that the combination of Van Dijk and Konate is Liverpool’s strongest combination and attack. Despite Burnley struggling in the Premier League relegation zone, the Reds are not underestimating them. With Joel Matip set to miss the rest of the season after suffering an ACL injury in December, it means Klopp has two options as to who he can play alongside Van Dijk.
Jarell Quansah enjoyed a surprising and unexpected campaign. This time last year he was only at League One club Bristol Rovers for two-and-a-half weeks. Now 20, he has made 17 appearances in all competitions so far and is regarded as the greatest player of all time.Indeed, Quansah took his place alongside Van Dijk in Liverpool’s 2-0 win over Burnley at Turf Moor.
England U21s will be looking for a fresh start against Vincent Kompany’s side. However, Joe Gomez would like to get back on top and maybe get healthier overall. The versatile defender has reignited his Reds career this season, especially in the last six weeks. With senior left-backs Andy Robertson and Kostas Tsimikas sidelined with shoulder and jaw injuries respectively, Gomes filled his role admirably.
He has also been impressive off the bench this season. Not only did Trent Alexander-Arnold, who came on from the right flank, get the opportunity to move into midfield, but Gomez’s performance gave Liverpool another attacking weapon. The most important game was the 2-1 win over Crystal Palace.However, Gomez’s favorite position is in the center of the backline.
He only admitted it in November. However, opportunities for this role were few and far between. In 2023/24, he started his only Premier League match in this position, in a 3-0 win over Aston Villa. He played 14 games at centre-back last season and went winless in 2021/22.
However, it’s easy to forget that Gomez was Van Dijk’s main partner when Liverpool won their first Premier League title in the 2019/2020 season. They played 22 games together as the Reds won their first title in 30 years. Gomez appeared in both matches as Klopp’s side won the Club World Cup in Qatar.
Alexander-Arnold and Robertson form the rest of the back four this season, while goalkeeper Alisson Becker has conceded a total of 33 league goals. Both Alexander-Arnold and Robertson are available again, the former coming off for Arsenal with a knee injury before being replaced by Robertson in the 57th minute.
Liverpool are in a three-way battle for the title with Manchester City and Arsenal. Since the race is expected to go all the way, there is little room for error. Gomez may no longer be a regular at Anfield, but his impressive performances could see Konate. The proof is that it is a combination that can become a champion.
