Joe Gomez got an unexpected chance to shine for Liverpool against Brighton, and his efforts were rightly lauded by supporters having proved vital to the comeback win.
Liverpool’s No. 12 has had to watch the majority of the season from the bench having moved down in the full-back pecking order and seen Ibrahima Konate and Virgil van Dijk rekindle their partnership.
But the Frenchman’s misfortune at the end of the first half against Brighton paved the way for Gomez to shine at Anfield, helping to turn the tide as the Reds came from behind to win 2-1.
Gomez came incredibly close to scoring his first goal of the season, but it was his influence off the ball that caught the eye having won all four of the duels he contested.
It was no surprise, then, to see supporters take to social media after the game to celebrate his influence…
So much to write about after that game, but the temptation to write a 1000 word eulogy to Joe Gomez is strong…
— Chris Bascombe (@_ChrisBascombe) November 2, 2024
Big fan of Arne Slot deciding to use a time machine and bring on 18/19 Joe Gomez at HT. Incredible cameo from him, especially under the circumstances.
— barry (@BackseatsmanLFC) November 2, 2024
Joe Gomez from the 19/20 era on display today man he’s been solid since he came on. We need him if Ibou is out for a bit
— Moby (@Mobyhaque1) November 2, 2024
Joe Gomez absolutely brilliant when he came on
— Leanne Prescott (@_lfcleanne) November 2, 2024
Joe Gomez…true professional. Such a great player. So happy he stayed with us.
To be able to do what he did today without many minutes this season is absolutely unreal. So important for us. pic.twitter.com/pfR8FIk3wB
— George Chomakov (@chomakovg) November 2, 2024
“Joe Gomez deserves a long run out in the first team, hopefully he can finally score for us over next several games, motm.”
– Ian Williams in TIA comments.
“MOTM for me is Joe Gomez. Absolutely secured his side, almost scored on his first touch. Another hard fought win, but we have to stop allowing teams to score first.”
– swiv in TIA comments.
“Hats off to Gomez. He was superb when he came on. I’ve written him off as a CB, but he was very impressive today.”
– Michael Hugh in TIA comments.
Joe Gomez was Man of The Match for me. Not only did he come in and put in a great defensive performance, but he really set the tone with his physical play, and how he won duels + how he won second balls. A lot of the team followed that, after not living up to standard in the…
— Maxi (@MaaxiAngelo) November 2, 2024
Needs to be said, huge response from Joe Gomez today in what could be a pivotal performance for him.
Assuming Konate is out for a while and with Quansah’s stock clearly dropping, Gomez finding form quickly is essential given the games ahead.
— Jack Lusby (@LusbyJack) November 2, 2024
Thought Joe Gomez played really well after he came on, in really challenging circumstances. Hard to overstate how boss it is to have someone of his quality to fill in.
— Mari Murphy (@MariCLMurphy) November 2, 2024
A shout out to Joey Gomez. Came in, hit some headers, almost scored for the first time for Liverpool and helped us win. Big balls Joey! ?
— Less Notorious (@JustLuboMerkov) November 2, 2024
Decent win for Liverpool given the changes. Gakpo and Jota sensational but lots of other very good displays – among them Joe Gomez who was typically assured at CB. Can understand why he may want to move on but would be a big loss to Liverpool given his versatility and quality.
— Sachin Nakrani (@SachinNakrani) September 25, 2024
Saturday was the fifth time this season that Gomez has been called on from the bench, and Liverpool are fortunate to be able to call upon a player of his quality.
He was subject to plenty of transfer speculation over the summer and you could understand if he sought out a new opportunity, but his experience is invaluable in what will be a long season.
We are yet to discover the extent of Konate’s injury so this could yet be the start of a run in the side for Gomez.
