Carragher: Liverpool star shows Slot he doesn’t need £51m January signing

Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher thinks Curtis Jones’ performance in a 2-1 win over Chelsea will make Arne Slot think twice about attempting to sign Martin Zubimendi in the January transfer window.

Jones tucked in Liverpool’s second goal six minutes into the second half, moments after Nicolas Jackson’s equaliser, having already made a crucial block to deny Cole Palmer and then won the penalty from which Mohamed Salah opened the scoring.

Jones thought he had won a second penalty before half-time when he collided with Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sanchez. Referee John Brooks pointed to the spot but the decision was overturned after a VAR intervention.

Even though that was not to be, it was an outstanding all-round display from the 23-year-old.

Carragher told Sky Sports: “It was a brilliant game. Chelsea more than played their part in it. It almost feels like the first really big game or result for Slot at Anfield.

“We’ve spoken before about the atmosphere, but Anfield really gets going in games like this. Liverpool were under the cosh at times and they needed the Anfield crowd to get them over the line.

“It feels like a really big win and Arne Slot knows that. Liverpool weren’t at their best but they found a way to win and that’s been the hallmark of so many great Liverpool teams in the past.”

Liverpool attempted to buy Zubimendi – who has a €60m (£51m) release clause in his contract – from Real Sociedad in the summer transfer window and Carragher reckons the Reds can do without the Spaniard after Jones’ display against Chelsea.

Carragher continued: “Curtis Jones was brilliant, he was outstanding. He’s still at that stage where he doesn’t know for certain if he is first choice, when you have got [Ryan] Gravenberch and [Alexis] Mac Allister.

“But what a performance that was, when you think of the quality on the pitch and the money that has been spent. For a local lad to be player of the match…

“I wonder if Arne Slot is going to go back in for [Real Sociedad midfielder Martin] Zubimendi in January, but when you see how he played today you think ‘no’. He has to now do it on a consistent basis.”

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Gary Neville added on his Sky Sports podcast: “Liverpool have a habit of getting the absolute maximum out of their players. When you look at their midfield of Dominik Szoboszlai, Ryan Gravenberch and Curtis Jones… up against Moises Caicedo, Fernandez, Lavia, Palmer, you would say that Chelsea should dominate the game.

“But the two players they tried to sign [Caicedo and Lavia] didn’t perform as well as the players signed for less money and that is down to the stability of the club. Jones epitomised that today with a swash-buckling performance. He was all-action.

“Gravenberch and Jones didn’t play like a holding midfield two. They were dynamic, they went and got the ball in wide areas, they went deep but then shifted up the pitch and made runs forward.

“It was a really good performance from him, and he was involved in everything. That is what coaching is, through stability, which is many ways the opposite of Chelsea, who have signed a lot of players and maybe undermined others who were already at the club.

“It’s settling down a little bit now, but Liverpool have been the absolute opposite. They missed their target in the summer in midfield [Zubimendi] and so Curtis Jones might not have been playing today.

“But the fact that he is means that he is playing at a really high level and that should give Liverpool and their board members patience. It’s an unusual quality in today’s game, but they have a patience and a stability here.

“Liverpool have four or five players to choose from in midfield who you may not think would get into some of the other top sides but as a collective they are so willing, they are like sponges on the training pitch, taking everything in.

“Their collective is better than their individual parts and that’s a sign of a really good team and good coaching. Jones was the best player on the pitch.”