Former England international Darren Bent has praised Liverpool defender Joe Gomez for getting “back to his best” in recent games since regaining his place in Jurgen Klopp’s side.
The 22-year-old had been out of favour earlier in the season but injuries to centre-backs Joel Matip and Dejan Lovren have seen him come back into the team and he appears to be seizing his opportunity to impress the manager.
The Reds have kept a clean sheet in each of their last three Premier League games, all of which Gomez started, having only had two shutouts in 15 league matches prior to that. [via TransferMarkt]
He was part of a Liverpool defence that kept second-placed Leicester at bay in a resounding 4-0 win on Boxing Day and, following that game, Bent praised him and Virgil van Dijk for the job they did in snuffing out the threat of Premier League top scorer Jamie Vardy.
He told Football Insider the day after that win over the Foxes: “I’ve always been a big fan of Joe Gomez. I’ve always felt that he is one of the best ones (centre-backs) they’ve got there.
“I always thought it would be him and Van Dijk that would form a partnership but to be fair to Matip he did really well to keep Gomez out the team.
“And it looked like Gomez has lost a little bit of confidence, but yesterday he looked like he was back to his best.
“It’s a real positive sign that you have guys like…Van Dijk and Gomez, what I like about these guys, is you know Vardy is quick, but it didn’t faze them at all.
“If I’m left one v one with him, I fancy my speed, my power against him and the best defenders in the world, don’t need cover.”
Gomez’s excellent performances in recent games justify the praise heaped upon him by Bent. The 22-year-old made four clearances, one block and one interception in the win over Leicester (as per Sofascore) and it was a sign of his solidity that Vardy, who has scored 17 league goals this season, didn’t even manage a shot on target against the Reds.
In his previous Premier League outing against Watford, the Liverpool defender won seven aerial duels, more than anyone else at Anfield that day, as well as making three successful tackles (the joint-most for the Reds), two interceptions and four clearances. [via WhoScored]
In between those two matches, he helped Liverpool to win the Club World Cup in Qatar, with his performance in the final victory over Flamengo hailed as “excellent” by journalist James Pearce and drawing rave reviews from many Reds fans on Twitter.
Not counting the makeshift team that lost to Aston Villa in the Carabao Cup, Gomez has featured in Liverpool’s last six matches, during which they have conceded just once, and started five of those (via TransferMarkt).
Prior to the game against Bournemouth earlier this month, the Reds hadn’t kept a clean sheet in 13 matches in all competitions, while the ex-Charlton man hadn’t started in the Premier League since the opening day.
It doesn’t seem coincidental that Gomez’s return to Liverpool’s starting line-up has been in tandem with a vastly improved concession rate for the Reds and, as Bent has opined, the 22-year-old defender has come to the fore during an impressive December for him and his team.
Liverpool fans, do you agree with Bent’s verdict on Gomez’s revival? Have your say by commenting below!
