The Reds returned to winning ways in the Premier League but one “special” player failed to catch the eye.

After two lackluster performances against Toulouse and Luton Town, respectively, Liverpool halted the mini-quandary with a decisive Anfield victory over Brentford in the Premier League on Sunday afternoon.

During the summer, Jurgen Klopp made significant changes to his midfield after the 2022–2023 campaign produced disastrous results. Despite the extensive transfer work, the flawless integration has been observed.

Liverpool, who finished fifth in the previous season and missed out on the Champions League this year, has been playing in the Europa League. Although they are currently leading Group E after four games, a humiliating 3-2 loss to Toulouse last week revealed shocking evidence of the team’s lack of spirit from the previous campaign.

It makes sense that there will inevitably be setbacks, but with the Reds trailing league leaders Manchester City by just one point going into the third international break of the season, there is cautious optimism that the team can maintain its current form and mount a serious challenge for the championship under Klopp’s direction.

Although the 3-0 victory over Brentford was a tremendous display of strength at home and kept Anfield’s 100% record intact since the summer, there were still certain areas that needed work, which the team’s German manager will attempt to address in the near future.

To be fair, there were several absences in midfield; Wataru Endo was set up for a second Premier League start of the season despite appearing to deceive in midweek. Ryan Gravenberch and Curtis Jones joined Spanish duo Thiago Alcantara and Stefan Bajcetic in the injury room, while Alexis Mac Allister was absent due to suspension.

Numbers-based game between Wataru Endo and Brentford

Since joining the Reds for £16 million in the summer after the Reds were unable to recruit Romeo Lavia and Moises Caicedo, who both chose to sign with Chelsea, Endo has been a bit of a mixed bag.

Klopp started the Japan star last weekend due to a lack of options, and although he didn’t really struggle, it was evident that he lacked authority when playing defense.

The 30-year-old, according to Sofascore, made four clearances, completed 86% of his passes, and took 67 touches from the middle of the park to stifle Brentford’s counterattack attempts. However, he only won one of his nine ground duels and lacked the confidence that a defensive midfielder of Liverpool’s caliber should have, winning just one tackle and twice being dribbled past.

Against TSC on Thursday night, Endo won none of his five contested ground duels, and for all his composure and industriousness it is clear why Klopp opts not to start him on the big occasions.

Cody Gakpo’s performance vs Brentford

With multiple absences, Cody Gakpo was also placed in midfield, having started there across the opening two matches of the Premier League campaign against Chelsea and Bournemouth, struggling on both occasions.

Against Thomas Frank’s Bees, he impressed in instances and demonstrated some of the attributes that prompted Klopp to recognise his worth in the middle, but he failed to influence the play as he would in an offensive position and should not be unleashed from deep when other options are at Klopp’s disposal.

Testing Mark Flekken with a stinging shot in the first half, Gakpo was crisp in possession, energetic and hard-working, but once again he proved that his deployment in the position must be used as a last resort.

Indeed, despite completing 91% of his passes, winning four ground duels (44%) and succeeding with two dribbles, Gakpo failed to make a single key pass and only took 46 touches.

For comparison, Dominik Szoboszlai took 73 touches and completed two key passes, always looking a threat and starting promising passages of play.

Goal’s Mark Doyle handed the Dutchman a 6/10 match rating despite the big win, writing: ‘Once again started in midfield because of Liverpool’s injury issues but while he worked hard, and had a couple of efforts from distance, he was once again largely ineffective in a deeper role. Subbed late on.’

While it was no detriment to the win, Klopp will no doubt be happy that key personnel in the middle will be back for the daunting trip to the Etihad Stadium to face Manchester City in two weeks.

Cody Gakpo’s place at Liverpool

Gakpo may receive a little too much criticism. Since joining the Anfield team for £35 million last winter, he hasn’t exactly shown himself to be the most clinical of players, but he is technically sound and wise both with and without the ball.

Is the £120k-a-week Gakpo’s work being overlooked in light of the clinical exploits of players like Mohamed Salah, Diogo Jota, and Darwin Nunez, who are causing havoc?

This season, he has made nine starts in all competitions, scoring four goals and dishing out an assist. According to FBref, the dynamo is also in the top 20% of forwards in Europe’s top five leagues for shot-creating actions, the top 7% for progressive passes, the top 18% for progressive carries and successful take-ons, the top 1% for tackles, and the top 8% for blocks per 90.

His all-encompassing skill set, formerly praised as “something special” by Fabrizio Romano, allows other attack-centric colleagues room and success. However, his best attributes have been overshadowed on the two instances this season that he has been deployed in the middle of the park.

Naturally, Liverpool’s litany of midfield absences from last weekend prevented any simple selections from the starting lineup, but there’s a case to be made that, with Harvey Elliott taking the place of the 19-cap international in the 83rd minute, Klopp started the incorrect player in the center.

Such assertions may be dismissed as pedantic since Liverpool defeated a disciplined squad that was enjoying a three-game winning streak in the Premier League, but Klopp will take it into consideration moving ahead.