A youthful Liverpool side made hard work of their Carabao Cup clash with Derby, needing a 3-2 victory on penalties to progress to the fourth round.
Liverpool 0-0 Derby (3-2 on pens)
Carabao Cup 3rd Round, Anfield
November 9, 2022
Caoimhin Kelleher – 10 (out of 10)
Touched the ball 28 times in the 90 minutes. Saved three penalties in the shootout.
What a goalkeeper.
Calvin Ramsay – 7
On his full debut, Ramsay showed clear signs of why he was brought in to replace Neco Williams in the summer, able to match up to the physical challenge and show invention going forward.
Played the full 90 minutes and can look to further integrate during the mid-season training camp.
Nat Phillips – 6
Did what was asked of him, stepping in to quell any Derby attacks and steer the ball clear when goalkeeper Joe Wildsmith pumped it long.
Joe Gomez – 6
The leader in the back line, Gomez was largely composed and alert in his duties, keeping up with the pacy Nathaniel Mendez-Laing to nullify any real threat on the counter for Derby.
There were some shaky moments on the ball, which is becoming a concerning hallmark of recent games, but he recovered well.
Kostas Tsimikas – 5
The biggest source of early inspiration, Tsimikas then faded as the game wore on.
The presence of Mendez-Laing may have limited his influence going forward but the Greek should really have done more.
Stefan Bajcetic – 7
Looked very comfortable in his No. 6 role, always happy to pick up the ball and move things forward, while working to close the opposition down in midfield.
Expectations are perhaps unfairly high for the 18-year-old Spaniard, but this was another step forward.
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain – 5
Clearly rusty in his first start of the season, Oxlade-Chamberlain was the only player to really trouble Wildsmith until the triple change midway through the second half.
Good to see him back, though, and with a perfect penalty in the shootout.
The hope will be he can now build on this as he will remain a useful option.
Bobby Clark – 6
Bustling and bright in his left-sided midfield role, Clark gave a good account of himself in linking up play and chasing down the opposition, rewarding the faith of Pepijn Lijnders.
He understandably tired, though, on his first-ever senior start, and was one of the first to be brought off as Klopp turned to his marquee names from the bench.
Melkamu Frauendorf – 6
By far the brightest of the starting forwards, Frauendorf showed his relentless work ethic and, as his 66 minutes on the pitch ticked by, threatened in his delivery from the right.
Not able to make a telling impact, but the 18-year-old does not look fazed by the challenge of stepping up. Perhaps a loan move will come in January.
Fabio Carvalho – 5
Should Carvalho be held to higher standards than those academy players coming in, despite being of a similar age?
Given his experience at senior level, and as a full-time member of the first-team squad, the answer is surely yes.
In truth, the Portuguese struggled to put his stamp on a game in which he should have stood out.
Layton Stewart – 5
A surprise call-up given his lack of opportunities a first-team level beforehand, Stewart still has catching up to do following a long-term injury and applied himself to the best of his abilities.
Missed a big opportunity on the half-hour and was largely peripheral throughout.
Substitutes
Darwin Nunez (on for Stewart, 66′) – 6 – Did very little, bar a decent spot-kick.
Roberto Firmino (on for Frauendorf, 66′) – 5 – Involved in some positive moments, came close to scoring with a close-range header, made a mess of his penalty.
Harvey Elliott (on for Clark, 66′) – 7 – The most likely to turn the tide after coming on, with only the impressive Wildsmith keeping him out. Made it count in the shootout.
Ben Doak (on for Carvalho, 74′) – 7 – A bundle of energy and creativity on the right. Did not look out of place at all.
Subs not used: Adrian, Davies, Quansah, Chambers, Cain
Jurgen Klopp – 6
It is likely that Klopp’s hands were tied somewhat given the injuries we already know of and those the medical team may have informed him of before kickoff.
The absence of Curtis Jones was a mystery, while Mohamed Salah was seemingly rested, meaning with Luis Diaz and Diogo Jota out, the manager turned to the untested Stewart in an inexperienced attack.
Klopp will have wanted more from the familiar faces in his side, but the overriding feeling will be positive after making 11 changes and still progressing to the next round.
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