Liverpool produced a very mixed performance on Saturday, as they scored three times but struggled defensively in a 3-2 win over Nottingham Forest.
Another step in the right direction it may be, but the Reds’ victory at home to Forest showed there is still more to be worked on.
Two goals from Diogo Jota and another for Mohamed Salah clinched the three points at Anfield, but Neco Williams and Morgan Gibbs-White made it a worrying afternoon.
It was far from a comprehensive performance from Liverpool, then, with a mixed bag when it came to individual displays.
Here we compare our player ratings with those of the Liverpool Echo, GOAL, Sky Sports, The Anfield Wrap, FotMob and the This Is Anfield readers.
There should be no surprises when it comes to the highest average rating, with Jota (8.3) universally considered the standout player.
GOAL’s Neil Jones hailed a “welcome return to form” for the Portuguese, who followed up a “poacher’s finish” with a “brilliant strike” for his second.
Strangely, the Echo‘s Ian Doyle awarded Alisson and Jota his joint-highest rating of eight out of 10, though the goalkeeper averaged a much lower rating across the board (6.4).
The next-best player was Trent Alexander-Arnold (7.5), who is excelling in his new advanced role, with Jones believing he “has his mojo back.”
There was less praise for Virgil van Dijk (5.8), however, with The Anfield Wrap’s Ben Johnson explaining that he was “too easily pushed about.”
“It was amazing how many times we lost the first ball, the second ball and the third ball in our box,” Johnson added, having rated the Dutchman as five out of 10.
Statistically, Cody Gakpo and Curtis Jones were deemed the least effective, the latter completing 95 percent of his passes but failing to win any of his three tackles.
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