2 weeks ago
10
Liverpool's young Reds suffered another setback in the EFL Trophy, falling 2-0 to League Two team Crewe on Tuesday.
A contentious penalty from Emre Tezgel and a Dion Rankine strike before half-time secured victory for the League Two side, despite Liverpool dominating possession and creating numerous opportunities. This result leaves the young Reds languishing at the bottom of their group, with their final match against Chesterfield looming in four weeks' time.
Arne Slot's players, meanwhile, will be back in Premier League action on Sunday, when Liverpool takes on Manchester United at Anfield. The ECHO was present at The Mornflake Stadium on Tuesday to assess the performance of the Liverpool players.
Fabian Mrozek, 6: Despite conceding an unfortunate penalty, Mrozek made a solid save from Tezgel later in the first half and had no chance with the second goal. He received a booking.
Calvin Ramsay, 6: As captain for the night, Ramsay consistently looked keen to press forward and created an opportunity for Sonni-Lambie.
Wellity Lucky, 7: After an initial shaky start, the center-back found his footing and began to utilise his physical strength effectively.
Rhys Williams, 6: Williams was steady at center-back and tried to kick-start attacks with passes into midfield. He was substituted.
Lucas Pitt, 6: Pitt had a lot on his plate before the interval, allowing Rankine to slip behind for Crewe's second goal. His performance improved after the break.
Michael Laffey, 6: While occasionally overzealous with his passing, Laffey was eager to keep Liverpool moving from a deeper midfield position. He received a booking and was substituted.
Jay Spearing, 7: Spearing put his experience to good use during his 45 minutes on the pitch, ensuring Liverpool dominated possession and continually encouraging his teammates. He was substituted, having also featured in Liverpool's legends game against Chelsea at the weekend.
Kaide Gordon, 7: A few opportunities to challenge the Crewe defence were presented, but he often found himself drifting inside, and his final ball was lacking in the first half. He was positioned more centrally after the break and had a number of chances, one of which he should have scored.
Tommy Pilling, 7: He pressed well in the advanced midfield role and began to find good positions before half-time. He has a good engine.
Trent Kone-Doherty, 8: He saw plenty of possession down the left and posed a real threat with his pace, hitting the post with one shot in the first half and narrowly missing with another. The second half was more of the same, and he didn't stop running.
Josh Sonni-Lambie, 6: Making his debut at this level, the 17-year-old didn't receive much service into his feet in the first half but managed one shot saved by Waller's feet. He began to hold the ball up better after the break. He was substituted.
Ben Trueman (for Spearing 46), 6: He added energy to the midfield and made some crunching challenges.
Joe Bradshaw (for Sonni-Lambie 62), 6: The 17-year-old was introduced in an unfamiliar center-forward role for his debut in the competition and saw one opportunistic shot sail over.
Afolami Onanuga (for Laffey 62), 6: His size and strength meant he wasn't intimidated while facing more senior opponents.
Amara Nallo (for Williams 62), 7: He slotted into the heart of the defence and made one good interception.
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