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Should Joe Gomez Be Liverpool’s Starting Right-Back?

Sometimes football gives you answers you weren’t even looking for. After weeks of tactical confusion, fragile defending, and a revolving door of right-backs who looked overwhelmed, Liverpool returned to something far more familiar at the London Stadium — and it came in the form of Joe Gomez. The long-serving utility defender stepped into the role with the authority of a man who has lived through title races, injury crises, Champions League finals, and every chaotic chapter in between. His performance wasn’t just encouraging; it was a revelation for a team that had forgotten what security on the right side of defence actually felt like.

In a match Liverpool could not afford to lose, Gomez delivered the kind of controlled, assertive, and intelligent display that immediately changes the conversation around him. For the first time in months, the question now feels legitimate: should Joe Gomez be Liverpool’s first-choice right-back? Based on everything we saw against West Ham, the argument is compelling.

A Full-Back Who Restores Balance, Trust, and Structure

Liverpool’s problems on the right side of defence have been glaring. Conor Bradley, brave and spirited, has been targeted ruthlessly by Premier League sides who know exactly where to attack. Jeremie Frimpong, while electric going forward, leaves gaps that simply cannot exist in a team already scrambling to find defensive security. Both players have admirable qualities, but neither has offered the stability this Liverpool side desperately needs.

Gomez changed that instantly. His defensive reading of the game restored calm to a back line that has spent too much of the season under siege. Where Bradley dives into challenges and Frimpong relies on athletic recovery, Gomez simply controlled the space — stepping in at the right time, holding his positioning when required, and choosing his moments to press without creating chaos behind him. It was the performance of a seasoned defender who knows what elite-level stability looks like.

It also changed Ibrahima Konaté. The Frenchman, who has looked increasingly rattled in recent weeks, suddenly resembled his old self. He defended aggressively without panicking, he stepped into duels with confidence, and he clearly trusted the player operating next to him. When defenders believe in their full-back, they naturally become more proactive. Gomez restored that belief.

He also offered composure going forward. His long throw helped initiate the opening goal and his assist for Cody Gakpo’s finish showcased a level of calm that Liverpool has sorely missed on that side of the pitch. He wasn’t forcing angles or overplaying; he was simply choosing the right options, exactly when they were needed.

A Modern Profile That Unlocks the Flanks

There is a reason I championed Gomez in the summer as Trent Alexander-Arnold’s long-term successor. What he showcased against West Ham mirrored the qualities that Arsenal benefit from with Jurrien Timber — the blend of strength, intelligence, mobility, and positional flexibility that allows a system to breathe. Gomez gives Liverpool something they have lacked all season: a full-back who can defend like a centre-half and still contribute in build-up without exposing the team in transition.

It also had a knock-on effect on Milos Kerkez. With Gomez anchoring the opposite flank, Kerkez finally had the confidence to advance aggressively, secure in the knowledge that defensive rotation behind him was stable and experienced. That is how balanced, modern full-back systems function — and for the first time in months, Liverpool resembled a team capable of controlling both flanks rather than surviving them.

The Verdict

With Liverpool fighting to rediscover structure, confidence, and identity, Joe Gomez has stepped forward as the calming presence the team has been missing. His experience, reliability, and defensive instinct make the right-back position feel safe again, and at a time when Liverpool cannot afford further uncertainty, that matters more than ever.

On current evidence, Gomez should be Liverpool’s starting right-back — and the manager must recognise that this is one solution he cannot afford to overlook.

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