Liverpool's 9/10 machine was better than Nunez & Jones vs Fulham

Liverpool’s 9/10 machine was better than Nunez & Jones vs Fulham

Fulham manager Marco Silva must have felt a frisson of fear as Liverpool ramped up the gas in the second half of their Carabao semi-final tie at Anfield last night, with his side leading but well-versed in the hosts’ predatory instinct in the late stages.

Indeed, just as Liverpool did last month in the Premier League, they came from behind to prevail against the Cottagers after Jurgen Klopp’s substitutions made the difference.

While a return trip to Craven Cottage presents a tough task, the Reds are one step closer to the final, with Curtis Jones and Cody Gakpo firing the home side into the advantage after an excellent creative cameo from Darwin Nunez.

How Nunez & Jones performed vs Fulham

Jones restored parity after 68 minutes as his effort took a big deflection to wrongfoot Bernd Leno between the sticks, but there was nothing fortunate about Gakpo’s rifled strike moments later to send the Kop into rapture.

Both efforts were provided by Nunez, who has received constant criticism throughout his Liverpool career for wayward finishing but has proved to be increasingly influential this term, now boasting eight goals and ten assists from 30 appearances across all competitions.

The Uruguayan also succeeded with three of his four dribbles and won four of his five ground duels to really emphasise the robustness and tenacity that has left him in such stellar standing with the Liverpool support, who forgive his profligacy due to an unwavering eagerness to fight for the badge.

Jones, too, proved himself yet again as a key component, ever important in the midfield and orchestrating the play, with another goal to the collection nice but not the core of his craft – he completed 47/48 passes and proved to be the fuel for the engine room.

Nunez & Jones vs Fulham

Stat

Nunez

Jones

Minutes Played

34

90

Goals

0

1

Assists

2

0

Touches

29

74

Pass Success

8/12 (67%)

47/48 (98%)

Duels Won

4/5

5/16

Key Passes

2

1

Stats via Sofascore.

While both efforts were impressive, it was the performance of one Conor Bradley that stood out above all others, with the young full-back filling in and pronouncing his quality on a statement night,

Conor Bradley’s game vs Fulham in numbers

With Trent Alexander-Arnold sidelined for a few weeks with a hamstring injury, Bradley was handed the opportunity to impress down the right lane, having been praised for his “eye-catching cameo” against Arsenal on Sunday by The Athletic’s James Pearce.

As per Sofascore, the 20-year-old played the full 90 and played a key part in the victory, taking 87 touches, completing 88% of his passes as he marauded the wing, making six tackles, two key passes and winning one interception.

He was dribbled past three times as he struggled to contain the electric-paced Antonee Robinson on occasion, but having won a whopping nine ground duels, it’s safe to say he held his own and impressed against a cohesive and spirited Premier League outfit.

Bradley vs Fulham

Minutes Played

90

Touches

87

Pass Success

49/56 (88%)

Key Passes

2

Dribble Success

1/2

Duels Won

9/21

Tackles

6

Interceptions

1

Stats via Sofascore.

Writing in his post-match player ratings, This Is Anfield’s Mark Delgado echoed these sentiments and handed the up-and-comer a stunning 9/10 match score.

He wrote: ‘Lost his footing in the lead-up to the goal and a few times was skinned by left-back Antonee Robinson, who has lightning pace, but generally dealt well with Willian in one-v-ones and got forward fearlessly which was important as we sought a route back into the game.

‘Never afraid to take on his man and won a few dangerous free-kicks. But it was his defensive tenacity which we needed tonight and he kept that up throughout, notably tackling back four or five times in one attempted Fulham attack down his flank in the final 15 minutes.’

It wasn’t a perfect performance but Bradley showcased his skills and proved that he can be the one to fill in for Alexander-Arnold over the coming weeks – with the versatile Joe Gomez’s talents required at right back.

To be honest, that’s probably the best praise to be handed to the lively full-back, whose emergence may well end Liverpool’s supposed pursuit of a new right-back.