Carragher thought Liverpool ace was “stupid”, now he looks undroppable

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Liverpool made it four wins from four in the Champions League last night, securing a convincing 4-0 win over Bayer Leverkusen at Anfield.

Arne Slot’s side currently sit top of the league phase, after a hat-trick from Luis Diaz and one other goal from Cody Gakpo, punishing the opposition led by former Red Xabi Alonso.

After the four encounters, the Reds have scored ten times and conceded just once as they continue their excellent start to life under the Dutchman since his appointment over the summer.

His side have still only lost one outing in all competitions, falling to a 1-0 defeat against Nottingham Forest, highlighting how much of an immediate impact the 46-year-old has had on Merseyside.

Last night was no different, with multiple first-team members starring throughout and producing some impressive figures during their various performances.

Liverpool’s star performers against Leverkusen

As previously mentioned, Colombian winger Diaz grabbed himself his first hat-trick as a Liverpool player, having a huge impact on the European encounter.

Along with his three strikes, the 27-year-old also completed 88% of the passes he attempted, with two of them going into the final third – looking to create opportunities for his teammates despite his excellent form in front of goal.

However, midfielder Curtis Jones justified his recall to the starting lineup last night, producing a spectacular display and controlling the middle of the park for Slot’s men.

The 23-year-old returned to the starting eleven after being utilised as a substitute during the Premier League win over Brighton at the weekend, taking his opportunity with both hands.

The academy graduate featured for 74 minutes last night, providing a pinpoint pass to Diaz for the opening goal, showcasing his excellent ability to pick out his teammate and create clear-cut opportunities in the final third.

However, he also impressed defensively, winning 80% of the duels he entered, making one interception and two recoveries, as he also helped maintain yet another clean sheet for the Reds.

Despite Diaz and Jones’ respective displays for Slot’s side at Anfield, there was another talent who produced a night to remember in the Champions League.

The Liverpool talent who impressed against Leverkusen

After joining the club back in 2020 from Greek side Olympiacos, left-back Konstantinos Tsimikas has often been used as a backup to Andy Robertson, having to settle for minutes off the bench or in cup competitions.

During his first few seasons on Merseyside, he struggled massively, with club-legend Jamie Carragher dubbing the 28-year-old “stupid” following the draw with Luton Town last season, amid a reckless challenge from the defender.

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He also came under fire from one of Carragher’s former teammates, Steve McMananan, during the shock 3-2 defeat to Toulouse in the Europa League last term in which Tsimikas was hooked at half-time, with the TNT pundit stating that he simply “fell asleep” for the Ligue 1 side’s opener.

However, new boss Slot handed him a second successive start last night, producing an incredible display and now looking undroppable, with Robertson undoubtedly struggling to dislodge the full-back.

Kostas Tsimikas’ stats against Bayer Leverkusen
Statistics	Tally
Minutes played	80
Touches	66
Passes completed	43/48 (90%)
Interceptions	4
Tackles won	1
Ground duels won	2/2 (100%)
Dribbles completed	1/1 (100%)
Stats via Sofascore

Tsimikas featured for 80 minutes, starring defensively and restricting the opposition from creating any real clear-cut chances down the right-hand side.

He made four interceptions and won one tackle as he helped preserve the clean sheet, their third of the Champions League campaign so far this season.

The full-back also completed 90% of the passes, whilst also winning 100% of duels and completing 100% of the dribbles he attempted – having an impact at both ends of the pitch for the Reds.

Given his display, Slot may find it tricky to drop Tsimikas from his starting lineup ahead of the meeting with Aston Villa on Saturday night.

It’s great to see a player taking his opportunity in the squad with both hands, resurrecting his Liverpool career with many thinking at one stage he could’ve been set for the exit door.