Liverpool midfielder has just made himself undroppable for Arsenal

The Paul Gorst verdict as Liverpool warm up for Saturday's top-of-the-table Premier League showdown with Arsenal with a thumping 5-1 Carabao Cup quarter-final win over West Ham United at Anfield

Liverpool midfielder has just made himself undroppable for Arsenal

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If there was any debate around how important the League Cup still was to Liverpool this season, it was confirmed with quite the statement here against West Ham United.

With a visit from Arsenal to come in a battle of the Premier League's leading lights on Saturday evening, the visit of the Hammers for this quarter-final tie appeared, on first glance, like an inconvenience for a team who have quite suddenly found themselves embroiled in a fight for the title since they booked their passage for this stage at the start of November at Bournemouth.

But while the chance to sit at the top of the tree of English football for Christmas Day is a presentable one for Jurgen Klopp this weekend, the manager ensured he picked the right blend to the point where they are now heading into the weekend as firm favourites for the Carabao Cup also.

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Now into the last four courtesy of this emphatic 5-1 victory over David Moyes's side, the Reds will meet Fulham over the two legs for a place at Wembley on February 25.

Klopp knows full well about the value of this competition beyond the winners' medals and the trophy in the cabinet. It was nearly two years ago that the Reds snared a record ninth win, on penalties against Chelsea, to fuel talk of a quadruple charge for the remainder of that season. A subsequent feelgood factor was wrapped around the entire club and chatter started to emerge about a new contract for the manager that was later signed in April en route to 92 Premier League points and a Champions League final spot.

The opportunity to provide a similar injection of impetus and momentum could yet be massive for Liverpool as this increasingly intriguing season continues to take real shape. It's an exciting time to be following this club once more.

With Klopp managing an injury list that is veering toward the cusp of being described as a 'crisis', he was unable to rest and rotate too heavily without it impacting the overall quality of the squad.

So while six changes were made in total, there were still starts for Dominik Szoboszlai, Darwin Nunez and Virgil van Dijk, while Harvey Elliott and Curtis Jones were also given a chance to impress with Ryan Gravenberch the latest midfield absentee to join a group that also includes Alexis Mac Allister and Thiago Alcantara and Stefan Bajcetic. The Dutchman's fatigue-related problem should at least mean he is okay for the weekend.

Given the inability to make too many alterations to his side - and with Saturday in mind - it was vital those given an opportunity grasped it firmly and the outstanding Jones and Elliott did just that.

It was another midfielder whose strike caught the eye most. It's been a difficult few weeks for Szoboszlai after seeing his general performances dip below those exciting opening gambits at Anfield but the Hungary captain was bright and inventive here. He opened the scoring with a rasping drive that arrowed into the corner and it was a lead the home side deserved given their peppering of Alphonse Areola's goal.

It was another stunning effort for the collection and supporters have been treated to quite the goal-of-the-month competition for December, it must be said.

Jones got the goals his performance deserved too with his first coming before the hour mark after an excellent through ball from the enterprising Nunez. The midfielder squeezed it through the legs of Areola from a tight angle to break the resolve of the visitors.

It's been a difficult few months for Jones since he was dismissed at Tottenham Hotspur back on September 30. A three-game suspension and then an injury took plenty of wind from the sails of a player who was one of the first names on the team sheet at the time. The six months of progress that preceded the red card have since given way to more incremental gains but this two-goal display more than hints at a vital role for the coming months. This was a giant stride forward.

The hour mark was the designated point for changes as Trent Alexander-Arnold, Ibrahima Konate and Mohamed Salah were all introduced before Kostas Tsimikas was given a well-earned rest for Conor Bradley shortly after. With the squad stretched more than Klopp would like presently, the ability to drop in a smattering of Academy hopefuls is a vital part of keeping that list of absentees as low as possible.

Cody Gakpo made it 3-0 with a low drive with just under 20 minutes remaining before a Jarrod Bowen responded to give Klopp's men some thinking to do as the game approached the final 15 minutes. Salah made sure it was a secure passage inside the final 10 when he converted Alexander-Arnold's wonderful through ball for his 15th goal of the campaign on 201st for the club.

The final word, as it ought to, went to Jones though, who capped off a sublime display with a wonderful goal that started with a dribble from just inside the West Ham half and ended with him skipping past the challenges inside the area before driving home.

If Liverpool's general performance was a firm declaration about their Carabao Cup intentions, this was Jones making a loud one of his own ahead of Saturday's match. He has played himself into the team for that now, there can be no question.

It was back in April that the Liverpool-born midfielder stated he was unconcerned about the expected upheaval in the engine room the coming summer. "I couldn't care, no," he confidently declared before a transfer window that saw four new midfielders signed and five leave. "You know I am a confident lad and I have the backing of the staff," he offered.

He can say that again, Klopp has always known what a talent he has on his hands in Jones and the challenge now is to maintain this sort of level well into the New Year and beyond.

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