Joe Gomez and Joel Matip are vying for a starting berth against Norwich City on Friday, but it is the former who should get the nod, in my opinion.
Gomez has experienced a tough time of things over the last two seasons, with injuries cutting him down during spells of excellent form.
The broken leg he suffered back in December gave Matip a chance to shine alongside Virgil van Dijk – something he did impressively.
The Cameroonian was a model of consistency during the Reds’ memorable Champions League run, even teeing-up Divock Origi for the trophy-clinching goal against Tottenham in the final in Madrid.
While Matip has done little wrong, Gomez showed on Sunday why he is still Van Dijk’s first choice partner.
The 22-year-old produced an assured showing throughout against Manchester City, despite Liverpool eventually falling to a penalty shootout defeat.
Gomez combined pace, strength and a superb reading of the game, even slotting in seamlessly at right-back when goalscorer Matip was introduced in the second half.
There have been some calls for Trent Alexander-Arnold to be left out, following a shaky performance at Wembley, with both Gomez and Matip starting.
That would be a needless selection change by Jurgen Klopp, however, particularly considering how influential Alexander-Arnold’s attacking input can be at home to lesser teams.
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Matip’s good form shouldn’t hide the fact that Gomez is the superior footballer and it is only healthy that players of the former’s calibre are now just squad options.
Prior to his aforementioned injury last season, Gomez was almost matching Van Dijk in terms of quality, and they can continue to grow as one of Europe’s most dominant centre-back partnerships.
