Liverpool boosted their chances of qualifying for the knockout round of the Champions League last night with a comfortable 3-0 victory over NK Maribor. Despite a valiant effort from the Slovenian visitors who kept a clean in the first-half, they were eventually picked apart by a far superior Liverpool side. Victory for Jurgen Klopp’s side sees them climb to the top of the group with 8 points from their opening 4 matches, but they still have plenty of work to do in their remaining two matches to qualify from the group.
The Liverpool punters propping up the bar in the Tavern are no more than content with their sides opening to the Premier League season, as they sit 6th in the table, 12 points adrift of early-season pace-setters Manchester City. Any pre-season ambitions of mounting a title-challenge are not completely in tatters just yet, but a push for top spot already seems hopelessly unrealistic.
Very few players at Liverpool have cemented a first-team place in the Liverpool team so far this season, and places are still very much up for grabs whilst Klopp continues to tinker with the squad.
With that being said, Klopp should invest his faith in the younger talents at the club to help strike a balance between youth and experience in his starting XI.
There are a handful of bright young talents at the club who are knocking on the door for a first-team opportunity at the moment and will be hoping to feature in some competitive minutes within the near future.
Here are three of Liverpool’s young talents who deserve a run of games in Liverpool’s upcoming fixtures…
TRENT ALEXANDER-ARNOLD
19-year-old right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold is on the verge of breaking into the first-team at Liverpool.
He is arguably the brightest young talent at the club, and he continued to impress his manager and fans alike with an excellent Champions League display last night.
Arnold provided the assist for Salah’s opener shortly after the break with a delightful cross that only required a delicate touch to carry it beyond Handanovic in the Maribor goal.
He was a constant menace with his crossing ability throughout the evening and Klopp will certainly be considering giving him more game time in the aftermath of his performance.
HARRY WILSON
20-year old-winger Harry Wilson is making a real statement of intent for the Liverpool U23 side right now.
The Welshman has already racked up 7 goals in 6 appearances in the Premier League 2 to help Liverpool climb to the top of the table after 9 games.
Liverpool U23 manager Neil Critchley has already hinted that Wilson is capable of breaking into the first-team this season, and his record certainly indicates he has plenty to offer going forward.
If Wilson continues his goalscoring form for the U23 side he will have a great chance of working his way into Klopp’s plans this season.
BEN WOODBURN
Big things are predicted for this 18-year-old wonderkid, who has come through the academy system at Liverpool.
Woodburn flirted with the first-team last season in both the FA cup and the Premier League, but his big moment arrived when he scored against Leeds United in the Caraboa Cup to become the clubs youngest ever goalscorer.
Steven Gerrard has praised the youngster’s mentality in training which he claims is ’10 out of 10′ – a factor that is sure to boost his chances of featuring in Klopp’s plans.
It is surely a matter of time now before Woodburn is handed a run of games to prove himself in the first-team.
