Jones got the nod for the Champions League clash at home to Bayer Leverkusen on Tuesday night. And he showed why on the hour mark, with his incisive pass setting up Luis Diaz to kick-start a flurry of four goals in the space of just over half an hour.
That injection of quality was merely the latest indicator of Jones taking a step up in responsibility this season. With four goal contributions to his name and a catalogue of stellar defensive work, lingering concerns about the midfielder being too slow on the ball are quickly fading away.
The first signs of Jones' new-found form came when he delivered a statement performance against Chelsea last month.
Liverpool FC v Bayer 04 Leverkusen
Curtis Jones has made a brilliant start to the season under Arne Slot
He was the best player on the pitch, winning the penalty converted by Mohamed Salah and scoring the winner himself in the 51st minute. Jones was also particularly impressive coming off the bench against Brighton at the weekend.
Arsenal's secret weapon could slash Man Utd advantage in £63m Viktor Gyokeres battle
"I still learn on a daily basis about every player, and Curtis is one of them," he said. "It’s one of his qualities that at this moment he can play in every position because he’s in a very good place. So comfortable on the ball and you can trust him closer to your defence.
"But like we saw against Chelsea and I saw today as well, he is also able to penetrate inside the 18-yard box and give the last pass. He’s really made a step up after pre-season, and that’s why he gets his chances now because if players do well – and I have quite a lot of them at the moment – they will get their chances."
0 Comments