Liverpool stretched their unbeaten run to nine games in all competitions with a 2-1 win over North London side Spurs on Wednesday in the fourth round of the League Cup. The Reds made it to the quarter-finals once again with the win. Both Klopp and Pochettino went for wholesale changes in the starting XI but it was Klopp who had the last laugh.
Daniel Sturridge scored both goals for the Reds while Spurs’ summer signing Vincent Janssen scored the only goal for the Lilywhites from the spot after Lucas Leiva upended Erik Lamela inside the area.
Jürgen Klopp gave opportunities to the squad players of Liverpool as well as to some bright young players. As Liverpool are not in Europe this season, League Cup and FA Cup are the only opportunities for the German to test his squad strength. Here are three youngsters who impressed the most for the Reds against Spurs.
Ovie Ejaria
The 18-year-old English under-20 international got his first start for Liverpool against the mighty Spurs. His only appearance for the Reds prior to this game was a 12-minute cameo off the bench against Derby in the previous round. The youngster, who was one of the standout players for the Reds during their pre-season, started in midfield alongside Stewart, Grujic and Wijnaldum and looked pretty sharp in possession.
His passing accuracy of 73.9% in the game might not look impressive on paper but with the kind of expressive football Liverpool play, his movement and through balls were quite good. Still only 18, future is bright for the kid if he can keep up his good work.
Marko Grujic
The young Serbian made his second start for Liverpool last night and was quite impressive. The 20-year-old moved to Anfield this summer after spending six months on loan at his former club Red Star Belgrade after signing for Liverpool back in January this year.
Still only 20, the young midfield dynamo has a lot to learn. He was pretty solid against Spurs with his all-round midfield display. He is strong, quick, creative and decisive in the final third. What more do you need to become a good midfielder? 1 assist, 1 key pass, 79.2% passing accuracy, 4 accurate long balls, 3 tackles, 1 interception, 2 clearances- it was a complete display from the midfielder.
Divock Origi
In the second half, the whole of Anfield was chanting ‘Divock Origi… Divock Origi….’ Well, that says a lot about how impressive the Belgian was against Spurs yesterday night. In a game where his fellow attacker Sturridge scored a brace, Origi was the player who impressed the fans the most.
Pace, power, skills, aerial ability- he has it all to become a complete forward in coming years and under Klopp, he can be a real menace. 2 key passes, 1 excellent shot on target from far out of the box that troubled Vorm, 90.5% passing accuracy and a willingness to do something every time the ball was played to him; it was a sensational display from the 21-year-old Belgian prodigy.
