da marjack bet： Sunday's Premier League match against Manchester United did not produce the kind of blistering offensive performance that Liverpool supporters have become accustomed to under Jurgen Klopp's illustrious rule, but they returned to their free-scoring best in midweek.
da dobrowin： Dispatching an abject West Ham United side 5-1 in the Carabao Cup quarter-finals, Liverpool have reaffirmed their credentials as one of Europe's most devastating units, coming at the perfect time with a third successive Anfield clash against Arsenal in the league just around the corner.
Mikel Arteta's first-placed side are just one point ahead of the Reds, but the effort against the Hammers really underscores the quality of Klopp's squad, with Curtis Jones crowned Man of the Match after a stunning midfield display.
Curtis Jones' game vs West Ham by numbers
The Athletic's James Pearce praised Jones for his "flying start" to the campaign, but a controversial red card against Tottenham Hotspur in September, followed by disruption due to injuries, has stifled his progress.
Nonetheless, the Scouse-born star has been in fine fettle of late and perhaps produced his standout performance last night, bagging two goals to stretch his club's grip on the cup tie.
As per Sofascore, the 22-year-old complemented his strikes with a 93% passing accuracy, two key passes, success with both of his dribbles and 89 total touches – only the impressive Jarell Quansah had more.
As remarked by BBC's Raj Chohan, the goals might have been nice but Jones' ball retention and control in the engine room was simply "phenomenal", and he is proving to be one of the most underrated players on English shores.
Goals
2
Key Passes
2
Pass Success
62/67 (95%)
Shots on target
3
Successful dribbles
100%
Duels Won
2/6
Touches
89
Ranking among the top 2% of midfielders across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for pass completion, as per FBref, he is vital to the system.
Perhaps not as important as Darwin Nunez though, with the Uruguayan dynamo seemingly reborn on the left wing last night…
Darwin Nunez's performance vs West Ham
There were goals galore against West Ham but forward Nunez's goalless run extended to 11 matches, but few of a Liverpool persuasion will care too much as the 24-year-old proved his worth with an energetic and influential showing out of position.
He's something of an enigma, this wonderful, perplexing, brilliant, bouncing ball of destructive energy; while Nunez has been criticised for wayward finishing throughout his Anfield career, the commitment and electricity of his craft continue to win the Anfield faithful over. Time and time again.
Jones might have bagged his first goal with a deft, rolling effort from an acute angle, but it was the £140k-per-week star's "superb” defence-splitting pass – as hailed by Neil Jones – to set the midfielder into space.
And his failure to find the back of the net was not for want of trying, hitting the woodwork with a curling attempt, expertly fingered onto the post by Alphonso Areola, while also completing 84% of his passes, creating four key passes, making five tackles and winning eight duels, evidencing his commendable application.
The goals will come, and even if Nunez never manages to reach the kind of prolific heights of the likes of Mohamed Salah, who was on the scoresheet once again off the bench, he is a remarkable, singular tool with a disposition for havoc-wreaking moments and chaos-igniting surges that could prove the difference in this chase for silver-laden success at Anfield.