Full Time: Liverpool 0-0 Stoke City
Liverpool failed to secure a win against relegation-threatened Stoke City at Anfield as both teams settled for a solitary point. It was a one-dimensional display from a seemingly exhausted Liverpool side and one point will do nothing for our hopes of catching 2nd-placed Manchester United.
Also, Jurgen Klopp chose to heavily rotate the squad which is understandable since we have a crucial semi-final clash coming up against AS Roma next week. With that said and done, here is how our players fared in this encounter.
Liverpool Player Ratings
Loris Karius – 6/10
He was hardly tested throughout the game and did not have much to contribute in either half.
Joe Gomez – 4/10
His decision-making was questionable and it almost cost Liverpool a goal. Besides that, his general play was sloppy and one might even call it messy. He is clearly struggling to settle in after returning from the injury.
Virgil van Dijk – 8/10
The best Liverpool defender on the field, van Dijk put in a defensively reassuring performance. He did well in set-piece situations and held on to possession admirably. He did pick up a booking though.
Ragnar Klavan – 6.5/10
Klavan was deployed ahead of Dejan Lovren and although he faced trouble from Peter Crouch, the Estonian defender did well to hold him off.
Alberto Moreno – 5/10
Moreno provided Liverpool with good pace going forward but his game, on the whole, was rather disappointing. His passes were lazy and he failed to make much of a defensive impact.
Trent Alexander-Arnold – 7/10
This decision was surprising, to say the least, but the youngster deserves full credit for putting up a strong fight in the midfield area.
Jordan Henderson – 6/10
It was a rather lukewarm display from Henderson who seemed to lack intensity.
Gini Wijnaldum – 6.5/10
Wijnaldum did the basics right and soldiered on but much like his fellow midfielders, the player could make much of an impact at the end of it.
Mohamed Salah – 5/10
This was a reality check as Salah showed that he is human too. He missed a brilliant opportunity to score and he looked visibly exhausted as the game wore on.
Danny Ings – 5/10
Although he worked hard, Ings was rather wasteful in the final third. He failed to provide a cutting-edge quality to Liverpool’s attack.
Roberto Firmino – 7/10
Firmino was not at his best but he was one of Liverpool’s more influential players. His passing skills were top-notch and he put in a hard-working shift.
Subs:
James Milner – 6/10
Milner added a dash of energy but it did not add much.
Nathaniel Clyne – 5.5/10
Used as a winger, Clyne looked out of place and failed to influence the game.
