Atalanta vs Liverpool Preview: Should the Reds have added Nat Phillips to their Champions League squad?
Mo Salah and Diogo Jota shone for Liverpool in their Premier League fixture on Saturday netting a goal each. However, they weren't the only ones who left Jurgen Klopp impressed. Centre-back Nat Phillips, alongside Joe Gomez, was an apt fill-in for the injured Virgil van Dijk in the side's 2-1 win over West Ham.
That they went with the 23-year-old came as a surprise to those who felt Rhys Williams would get another go after a good run midweek against the Hammers. Not many expected a lot out of Phillips perhaps, however, a scintillating display now gives Klopp selection headaches, and maybe he would have been better off having Phillips in the side ahead of their Champions League clash against Serie A side, Atalanta. Phillips was a relatively unknown commodity coming into this game. He'd gone through the grind after scaling up the ranks of the youth side with the Bolton Wanderers.
A free agent, he was lapped up by the Reds, but with the squad and the sort of form they were in, Phillips breaking in was a task in itself and he patiently waited in the wings. And now as the injury-riddled Reds aim to get back to contention, they can thank Phillips for bringing in the much-needed defense, that has been their Achilles heel so far this season. With van Dijk's injury, the conundrum for Klopp was to find a center-back who could handle crosses effectively and Phillips, surprisingly did that with consummate ease.
It is a pity he didn't make the 24-man roster for the Champions League. His long-range passing (He completed 10 of the 18 he attempted) might not be anything close to Van Dijk, but it does show there is a promising backup. But what we can expect is Klopp handing out more chances to Phillips for the next few games at least. With the weekend fixture against Manchester City looming large, there's every reason to see Phillips and hope he builds on the commendable start.
Liverpool.com has a few interesting numbers when it comes to decoding his performance against the Hammers. He won seven aerial duels of the nine that came his way and that meant a 78% success rate according to the writer, Mark Wakefield. Having someone of this caliber would mean one thing less for Klopp to worry about. Come Tuesday, November 3, they travel to Italy to take on Atalanta who has been steadily climbing up the popularity chart.
They are placed second in the points table, one rung below the Reds, and as a side who made it to last editions quarterfinals of the Champions League, Liverpool will have their work cut out. And perhaps, the inclusion of Phillips might have helped.
Kick-off is slated for 3 pm ET on Tuesday (November 3). The game can be watched live on CBS All Access.