View: 74% Liverpool ace Joe Gomez has a trait Arne Slot will love this season
Liverpool have already undergone plenty of change this summer despite no players having yet arrived at the Anfield club.
Last season was a strange one for Liverpool fans as, although they finished third, which is a tremendous improvement from the season prior, it still isn’t quite where the club wanted or needed to be.
The Reds’ fans expect the club to be consistently competing for titles and it was all going smoothly until the final month of the term when the team underperformed massively.
However, one player who stood strong across the campaign was Joe Gomez.
The defender was by far and away one of Liverpool’s best players last season and he could well have forced his way into a starting spot for the 2024/25 season and there is one trait Arne Slot will love. His versatility.
Joe Gomez season in number last term
The Reds were hindered by injuries once again last season, especially in the defensive department.
Both Andy Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold were sidelined more often than they would have liked to have been last term and their absences could be one of the many reasons behind the Reds’ collapse.
Although the loss of the dynamic duo was evidently hard on the team, it did allow Gomez to step up to the plate and show his worth.
The 2023/24 season was one where the former Charlton man was relied upon for many games with the defender playing a total of 32 times in the Premier League last season.
Although he failed to get his first professional goal, he did put in a stellar defensive performance across the campaign.
He played his part in keeping a total of five clean sheets and made an average of 1.5 tackles per game, according to Sofascore, while he managed to recover 3.5 balls per game.
In terms of duels, he also excelled. Aerially he managed to win 74 per cent of his overall duels, which averages out to around 1 per clash.
But, on the ground, he was less successful with a total of 48 per cent of those attempted ending successfully, which averaged out at an overall score of 3.4 per game.
This means that across all the duels he attempted across the top flight season, he managed to win over half of them with a total of 54 per cent.
Although Gomez is naturally a centre-back, he was used in his less natural position of full-back across the season which explains why his Premier League heatmap shows the defender covering the entirety of the pitch.
But that is also something Slot will rely upon. Having a player like that who can play anywhere across the backline is so handy, and the new boss will appreciate that versatility at times when injuries and suspensions take their toll.
Liverpool need to entrust Joe Gomez more this season
Now Joel Matip has left, it’s no secret that the Reds are vying for the addition of a centre-back [Fabrizio Romano, 14 July] this summer.
In terms of players who can play at centre-back there is plenty of depth but for the quality Liverpool desire, additional talent is needed.
Granted, Ibrahima Konate is one of the club’s strongest players but his history with injuries doesn’t give fans or the coaching staff much confidence.
Gomez has also had his fair share of injuries but after his stellar performances last season, it feels as if he should be afforded the chance to play a more regular starting role.
Especially with the sudden uprise in form from the likes of Jarell Quansah and Connor Bradley.
Next season will be a strange one for fans due to having a new manager at the helm, but, one thing is for sure, should Liverpool manage to keep Virgil van Dijk and allow Gomez to play a more regular role in the starting line-up, their chances of winning a title or trophy will increase tenfold.
In other Liverpool news, the Reds are lining up a transfer for Takefusa Kubo this summer.
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