Liverpool put in a hard shift at Anfield to keep their unbeaten home streak alive last night. Despite conceding through an early Pablo Fornals goal, the Reds were resilient enough to keep their heads and grab the win.
A VAR decision against Diogo Jota looked like it could paint the rest of game’s dynamic but the Portuguese target man was on song yet again with a goal to mark his third in five league appearances. Jurgen Klopp’s newest signing was undoubtedly the man of the hour, but the whole team rallied together to produce a solid performance.
One man especially who went under the radar was Gini Wijnaldum in the middle of the park. Despite being without playmakers Naby Keita and Thiago, the Dutchman was able to fill in and pull the strings from midfield.
Gini Wijnaldum stats vs West Ham
Starting the match alongside Jordan Henderson and Curtis Jones, the 29-year-old did well to trouble West Ham and create chances for the Reds.
According to Sofascore, Wijnaldum maintained a 97% passing rate, won 8/10 of his attempted duels and was successful in 100% of his dribbles and long balls. He was also the most fouled player in the game, highlighting how much the Irons struggled to deal with him in the engine room.
The £75,000-a-week midfielder is into the last 12 months of his current deal with Liverpool, but he is showing no signs of lowering his form. Despite the fact he could be leaving the club for free next year, Wijnaldum continues to give his all to the club and he is proving crucial to the Reds in their hour of need.
He recently received praise from Danny Murphy over his performances for the Anfield outfit. Speaking to Sky Sports, the pundit lauded him as an “absolutely sensational” player despite going “under the radar” (via Tribal Football).
Klopp currently has a huge defensive crisis on his hands, so knowing he is solid in midfield will alleviate a bit of pressure from him. The next fixture will see the Reds take on Atalanta in the Champions League and Liverpool will need a strong performance to push forwards and they can rely on Wijnaldum to deliver.
In the meantime, perhaps it’s time for Michael Edwards to get that tempting contract offer over to the Dutchman.
In other news, shock wage revelation could be Liverpool deal-breaker in David Alaba interest…