Liverpool's goalless draw against Manchester United felt like a defeat to many Reds supporters, but Anfield must now ready itself once again to take on West Ham United for a place in the Carabao Cup semi-finals.
Having been terrible for large portions of the 2022/23 campaign, Jurgen Klopp's side's ascendancy this season has been indicative of the manager's world-class leadership skills, with Arsenal just one point ahead in first place in the Premier League after 17 matches.
The Gunners are next up in the English top-flight, travelling to Merseyside on Saturday evening in what will be a fiery encounter between two teams with equal belief in their title-winning credentials, but first Liverpool must ensure that they dispatch the Hammers and move closer to silverware.
Last year, Liverpool only won the Community Shield in the curtain-raiser before a stark decline resulted in a fifth-placed Premier League finish and confirmed the fates of most of the sapped midfield, all shipped on after illustrious success, legs gone.
The term prior, Liverpool completed the domestic cup double and came within a whisker of the Premier League and Champions League trophies, a triumph which would have resulted in a historic quadruple; to rekindle the winning feeling, the Carabao Cup must be gleaned.
Liverpool team news vs West Ham
Klopp is juggling a deluge of injuries at present to compound the existing long-term absences of Spanish midfielders Thiago Alcantara and Stefan Bajcetic, left-back Andy Robertson and Joel Matip, none of which are expected back any time soon.
Alexis Mac Allister and Diogo Jota remain sidelined but are expected to be nearing a return from respective problems, while Ryan Gravenberch could be in contention to feature after being forced off against Manchester United with discomfort in his hamstring.
Nunez starts & Klopp drops "monster" in predicted Liverpool lineup vs West Ham
Liverpool could make several changes for the Carabao Cup quarter-final tie after a drab draw against Manchester United on Sunday.
ByAngus Sinclair Dec 19, 2023
Red assistant manager Pep Lijnders confirmed that Caoimhin Kelleher will start in goal tonight, alluding to further rotation too with Mikel Arteta's squad arriving in just three days.
Why Jarell Quansah must start vs West Ham
So Kelleher will deputise between the sticks for the third time in the League Cup this season, giving the seemingly infallible Alisson Becker a rest before a crucial Premier League encounter.
Ibrahima Konate will be important in subduing the Gunners frontline at the weekend too, and, as such, must be rested against West Ham, allowing 20-year-old centre-back Jarell Quansah to continue his rise and produce a commanding display in the rearguard.
Virgil van Dijk will probably retain his spot in the side for both matches, instilling command and composure to ensure that his players engineer success, but the blend of youth and experience could work well.
Games
2
Minutes
90'
Touches
109
Pass completion
90%
Key passes
0.5
Interceptions
2.0
Ball recoveries
3.5
Clearances
4.5
Successful dribbles
1.0 (67%)
Ground duels won
2.0 (50%)
*Sourced via Sofascore
Quansah might be young, but since earning a shot in the first-team this season, he has amassed 12 appearances and posted a goal and an assist apiece, with vice-captain Trent Alexander-Arnold describing him as "absolutely phenomenal" for his start to life among the seniors.
As per FBref, the 6 foot 5 titan ranks among the top 1% of central defenders across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for goals scored and passes attempted, the top 5% for pass completion and the top 12% for successful take-ons per 90, showcasing his innate eye for goal and crispness in possession that will be important in establishing control against the Irons.
He will be required to step up and perform against a Hammers frontline that consists of free-scoring duo Jarrod Bowen and Mohamed Kudus and creative string-puller Lucas Paqueta.
It will not be a walk in the park, and while Quansah will be important, the performances of those in front of him will be equally (if not more) crucial, with the draw against Manchester United illuminating a lack of innovation and zest in the midfield.
Harvey Elliott's time to shine
To bring life back to the engine room, Harvey Elliott could provide the spark to unlock the opposition's defensive block, with the England U21 international starting to underscore his potential as a focal point in the future.
Still only 20 years old, Elliott started all six of Liverpool's Europa League group stage fixtures and both of the Carabao Cup ties thus far, though he has only received one role from the outset in the league, recently expressing his discontent at the role of 'super sub' after scoring a late winner against Crystal Palace earlier this month.
The £40k-per-week machine ranks among the top 2% of midfielders for shots taken, the top 11% for shot-creating actions, the top 8% for progressive passes, the top 4% for progressive carries and the top 17% for blocks per 90, drawing comparisons to Jude Bellingham and Bernardo Silva – as per FBref's player comparison tool.
Described as a “special” talent by pundit Jamie Carragher, Elliott has created three key passes across both Carabao Cup games this term, completing 83% of his passes and remarkably making 7.5 recoveries per outing – this is exactly the kind of energy and inspiration that Liverpool need to restore their blistering offensive verve.
While the 5 foot 7 gem has yet to cement a regular starting role in the Premier League, a talismanic display against West Ham to send Liverpool one step closer to the semi-finals may well prove to win Klopp over and hand him a more prominent role – especially after Dominik Szoboszlai's recent decline in form.
With the action coming thick and fast, it makes perfect sense for Klopp to issue rotation and provide the likes of Quansah and Elliott with opportunities to impress in an important cup clash.
Moyes will hope to exploit their ostensible inexperience, but the exciting talents will feel that they can rise to the occasion and ensure that Liverpool's seasonal revival continues.