Liverpool defender earns special praise from manager and captain after injury-plagued years.
Liverpool manager Arne Slot singled out defender Joe Gomez for “outstanding” praise following a commanding performance in the Reds’ 3-0 Champions League victory over Marseille, highlighting a player who has endured a long and painful battle with injuries.
With Liverpool already cruising thanks to goals from Dominik Szoboszlai, a Marseille own goal, and Cody Gakpo, Slot made a point of spotlighting Gomez’s composed and crucial role at the back. “I saw a lot of individual performances tonight, but I would like to single out Joe Gomez,” Slot said. “He has suffered a lot with injuries in the last few years, and I haven’t picked him sometimes when he has been fit. Tonight, he was outstanding and so important.”
Captain Virgil van Dijk echoed the sentiment, acknowledging the absence of Ibrahima Konaté but praising his close friend’s influence. “I think he was outstanding,” Van Dijk said. “The third goal he was the one who started it all off.”
The statistics underscored the praise. Gomez completed all 39 of his passes, won every duel he contested, made seven clearances, and dominated aerially in a flawless defensive display.
The performance has reignited debate among supporters about Gomez’s place in the team when the squad is fully fit, a testament to his resilience after a brutal injury history. His career has been repeatedly interrupted by major setbacks: a patellar tendon rupture in 2020, a fractured leg in 2018, and a torn ACL in 2015, each requiring surgery and months of rehabilitation.
This season, Gomez has made 12 appearances across all competitions, contributing two assists. For one night in Marseille, however, the focus was not on past struggles but on a present performance that reminded everyone of his proven quality at the highest level.
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