Curtis Jones finds himself taking a backseat in the midfield this season but impressed with his performance against Crystal Palace.
Liverpool’s win at Selhurst Park was not the most convincing performance and required a lot of concentration down the stretch to earn all three points.
While Wataru Endo’s five-minute cameo towards the end of the game garnered praise and attention, the man he replaced was also vital for the result.
As per WhoScored, the 23-year-old completed two key passes, won three aerial duels and had the highest pass completion rate out of all Liverpool players (97.9%). He also had two clearances and one successful tackle.
Neil Mellor impressed with Curtis Jones’ work rate v Crystal Palace
Neil Mellor was keen to emphasise the England U21 international’s work rate during our trip to Croydon.
Curtis Jones’ remarkable engine saw him win a throw-in for the visitors late on in the clash after Dominik Szoboszlai’s mishit pass.
“Probably the best ’til last: This is late on in the game, he’s put in a big shift. Look at the reaction. He is not giving that up one bit and he ends up winning a throw. That is really deep on in the game. Really good attitude,” the former Red spoke on LFCTV.
Liverpool have shared a video of his contributions to the game on X (formerly Twitter) and it makes for very good viewing:
Curtis Jones has become underrated but offers good value
Notably, it was our Scouser’s first start of the Premier League campaign – and only his second of 2024/25 after helping Liverpool secure a 5-1 win against West Ham in the Carabao Cup.
You can’t help but feel sympathetic given Curtis Jones has yet to put a foot wrong this season. However, in the same breath, we have to acknowledge that Ryan Gravenberch’s remarkable form makes it near-impossible for the local Liverpool lad to break into the midfield three. Likewise, Alexis Mac Allister offers more with his chance creation while Dominik Szoboszlai’s work-rate and pressing are vital to Arne Slot’s system.
For these reasons, Jones will likely see himself relegated to the bench after the international break. However, that absolutely shouldn’t take away from the fact he clearly has a lot to offer us this season.
To start off with, he’s clearly a positionally versatile option for the manager in midfield. Liverpool’s no. 17 has played over 20 games in left midfield and central midfield, with three appearances as a defensive midfielder, as per Transfermarkt.
Still only 23 years of age, there is little doubt that he has the potential to get better and better and become an integral part of the Reds’ midfield.