Liverpool weren’t at their very best on Saturday, but still managed to scrape a 1-1 draw against Manchester City.
There were a handful of poor performers for the Reds, with goalkeeper Alisson Becker in particular having a tough day.
But, as the positive scoreline would suggest, it wasn’t all bad. And speaking to liverpoolfc.com about the game, former Liverpool striker Neil Mellor has highlighted the contribution of one, often unsung hero in red: Joel Matip.
“He was superb, taking up really good defensive positions,” raved the pundit.
“The block in the 95th minute stopped a certain goal – that is a goal-saving block. Absolutely outstanding [from] Matip.”
Matip underlines his worth
Matip was indeed very, very good against Man City. There was perhaps some worry at seeing the Cameroonian start over the more physical Ibrahima Konate, but Joel more than justified Jurgen Klopp’s faith in him.
There was one slight lapse in concentration for the City goal. But both he and Virgil van Dijk deserve some leeway – it’s hard to play against Pep Guardiola’s side.
Aside from that though, both centre-backs showed why they’ve been at the forefront of Liverpool’s success under Klopp.
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Van Dijk’s qualities are well-known and celebrated. But Matip has arguably been just as consistent ever since the Dutchman began to partner him in 2018.
It’s clear that although Konate is the answer in the longer-term, Matip still brings out the best in Virgil. The 32-year-old has been around the block a few times and it really shows.
Obviously he’s had his injury issues but having stayed fit and been impressive so far this season, conversations should now be had about a potential new contract.
As things stand, Matip will leave Liverpool as a free agent in the summer. That has felt inevitable for a little while now, but it needn’t be. On this form, letting the former Schalke man walk out of the door would be a mistake.
Caution should maybe be exercised in that regard. Matip will be 33 next August after all, and he does have a chequered injury history to say the least.
But as long as he can pull displays like the one on Saturday out of the bag, he’s valuable to Liverpool. A decision is going to have to be made on that very soon. For the time being, keep at it big man.