Jarell Quansah has gone from zero to 22 first-team games at Liverpool this season. Few would have thought he would do when we wrote the summer of 2023, but the centre-back has shown that it was a wise decision by Jürgen Klopp and his team to count him as an important part of the squad this season.
The injury situation at the club, especially with Joel Matip out with a long-term injury, has probably led to Quansah getting a little more opportunities than anyone had imagined, but talk about taking care of the chance. The 21-year-old has grown with the tasks this season, and he himself says that the experiences in the Europa League in particular have been beneficial.
– I know I won’t be perfect all the time, so for me it’s about learning from good strikers, European strikers. It is going to be useful in the long run. I always want to learn, which is important in the phase of my career I am in now.
On Thursday, he got another opportunity to show off when Liverpool beat Sparta Prague 5-1 in the first round of 16 final.
– We knew it was going to be a difficult match. They have a lot of quality, especially high in the field. We got away with the scare a few times, and had to take some action during the break. I am happy that we took home a win and that it was convincing in the end.
Crazy win rate
It’s usually a win when Quansah plays. So far in his Liverpool career, he has a winning percentage of an incredible 86. 19 of the 22 games have been won. One has ended in a draw, while there have been two losses – the away meetings with Union SG and Toulouse in the Europa League.
In the Premier League, he has won all eight games he has been on the pitch, and he has also had a taste of his first trophy. Perhaps it is therefore wise to give him another opportunity against Manchester City on Sunday? With the uncertainty surrounding Ibrahima Konaté’s injury, it is not inconceivable that it will happen, although Joe Gomez is probably at the front of the queue.
– It will be exciting, and it is impossible to say what will be seen. No matter who we play, we have the quality to win the game. We go for that regardless of who starts.
Liverpool are in great form, and have, among other things, Darwin Nunez in top scoring mood.
– Every single finish seems to go in at the moment, so he must have sky-high confidence. I am very happy that he is in that form. We have a lot of quality in the front row, so if we can keep the opposition away from our goal, we know that we can usually win.
In recent weeks, the 21-year-old has almost become a veteran, as the injury situation has led to many youngsters being given the opportunity.
– We have been through a difficult period, but all the boys have taken responsibility when there has been a need for it, no matter how old they are. Now we’ve got some class players back, and that comes in handy when we meet a team like City, he says.