On the same night that Liverpool’s defensive experiment failed at Anfield, a familiar face reminded us of what we are missing hundreds of miles away in Germany.
Former Liverpool defender Jarell Quansah scored in extra time for Bayer Leverkusen in a 4–2 win over SC Paderborn in the DFB Pokal, a match described by the club’s official site (bayer04.de) as “A thriller that had everything.”
The 22-year-old, who was sold to Leverkusen for £30 million in the summer, came off the bench to level the score at 2-2 in the 105th minute before the Werkself sealed victory and a place in the Round of 16.
His composed finish, from close range after a well-executed move, was the kind of moment that underlined why many Liverpool supporters questioned the wisdom of letting him go.
Quansah’s form has contrasted with Liverpool’s defensive struggles
While the Englishman celebrated in Germany, Arne Slot’s Liverpool side struggled to cope defensively in a 3-0 defeat to Crystal Palace in the Carabao Cup.
The Reds lined up with a back three of Wataru Endo, Joe Gomez and Andy Robertson, while our head coach made ten changes and prioritized upcoming games against Aston Villa, Real Madrid and Manchester City.
That decision had a serious adverse effect.
John Aldridge blasted our head coach for effectively giving up the cup, and Jamie Redknapp was equally unimpressed by the weakened starting line-up.
Defensive errors cost us twice before half-time, with Ismaila Sarr punishing poor ball marking and a misplaced pass from Gomez.
With Leoni injured and Marc Guehi’s deal collapsing on Deadline Day, losing Quansah without adequate coverage appears to be becoming increasingly costly.
The Leverkusen report praised the youngster “react fastest in the penalty area by putting the ball in the empty net,” and head coach Kasper Hjulmand emphasized his “calmness and timing.”
It’s a reminder that while our backline looks stretched, one of our own academy products is thriving elsewhere and doing exactly what we could use right now.
What Liverpool’s decision tells us about our wider defensive picture
Quansah’s progress in Germany, combined with our recent results, suggests that the balance of the selection is still not right.
Liverpool have the chance to respond against Villa at Anfield this weekend, but there is no doubt that the sight of Quansah will sting again for those of us watching our own defensive concerns mount.
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