Bournemouth 1-2 Liverpool | EFL Cup Man of the Match
Jarell Quansah
Out of nowhere, there sometimes emerges a player who simply arrives and takes everyone by surprise. When I was younger, it was probably Jamie Carragher who exceeded all my expectations to have a tremendous Anfield career as a one-club legend of Liverpool FC. Carra was never the most refined, nor the tallest, certainly not the quickest, and it took years for him to find his eventual central defensive spot. Ultimately, his limitations always made his eventual longevity seem unlikely, yet the academy product defied those expectations, which is what we may be seeing with another player within the current Liverpool squad.
Quansah tonight – superb MOM performance 👏
🔴 86 completed passes today
🔴 7 clearances
🔴 4/8 duels won
🔴 2 interceptions
🔴 3 recoveries pic.twitter.com/VErp13fJMg— AnfieldIndex (@AnfieldIndex) November 1, 2023
In Jarell Quansah, there appear to be no limitations. However, I cannot imagine anyone not related to the young Englishman would ever have believed he would have had the kind of remarkable impact that he has had so far this season. This is the second time I have awarded a man of the match award to the 20-year-old, with tonight being his most impressive outing. After making 16 appearances on loan at Bristol Rovers last season, everyone expected a similar result for this campaign. What we are seeing instead is the opening period of a career that now looks ultra-promising and equally exciting.
In tonight’s last 16 EFL Cup tie (away to Bournemouth), the 6ft 3inch novice was tremendous and mature in conditions that could and possibly should have been horrid for a relatively inexperienced defender. His decision-making, recovery pace, ability to compete, and sheer precision on the ball defy all logic, yet here we are once again basking in the performance of the new Liverpool man.
Darwin Nunez will get the headlines and rightly so because that was a stunning winner – but Jarell Quansah was absolutely outstanding. Hard to believe he's a 20-year-old CB making only his fourth senior start. So good tonight.
— James Pearce (@JamesPearceLFC) November 1, 2023
With four senior starts and two man of the match appearances, it now makes the panic of not signing a defender in the last transfer window less of a concern. Though it is early days and much can change, this is a supremely gifted player who can learn from Virgil and go on to become a serious Premier League player in years to come. Though James Pearce is right in saying that Darwin will gain much of the punditry-led plaudits, I doubt anyone can ignore the obvious level that is being portrayed by this evening’s man of the match.
I look forward to his next start against Toulouse next Thursday, where he now must be considered a certain starter in these ongoing cup competitions.
Let the Liverpool 2.0 regeneration continue, as this season it certainly is bringing more than any of us could have expected.
Pre-match Prediction: Bournemouth 1 – 2 Liverpool
by Steven Smith
