It was a disappointing day all around for Liverpool, after the Reds suffered a 1-0 home defeat to Arsenal on Sunday.
Trey Nyoni kept his place in the starting XI from last week’s Carabao Cup win over Chelsea, for what was his first start for the club at Premier League level.
The 19-year-old midfielder looked entirely unfazed by the occasion. He made some crunching tackles early on to announce his presence and was fortunate not to get a booking.
While Arsenal struck early through Kai Havertz in the 16th minute, Nyoni gradually took command of the tempo, helping Liverpool recover from a sluggish opening phase and establishing control in the centre of the park.
Nyoni was eventually replaced by Dominik Szoboszlai as Andoni Iraola’s side pushed for an equaliser but, during his 58 minutes on the pitch, he recorded a 96% passing accuracy, completing 52 of his 54 attempted passes.
Nyoni’s tactical discipline and calm decision-making stood out as a clear bright spot on a frustrating afternoon for the Reds.
When asked about his feeling making his first Premier League start for the club, he said: “Obviously I was excited. I just tried to go out there and do what I do, tried to get on the ball as much as possible and bring the team forwards.
“Obviously I’m happy but we still wanted to win, so there’s also that – which is the most important thing.
“The manager is just trying me in different positions and allowing me to develop. In a game like this it was a big responsibility so I had to be ready at all costs.”
Nyoni’s performance was one of only a few positives to take from Sunday’s game. Hopefully, we will see him get a lot more first team action as the season progresses.
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