Arne Slot praised Joe Gomez for his performance after coming on at half-time in Liverpool’s 2-1 comeback win over Brighton & Hove Albion.
Goals from Cody Gakpo and Mohamed Salah helped the Reds leapfrog Manchester City to claim the top spot in the Premier League table.
However, it was not a straightforward victory for Slot’s men.
They struggled in the first half, trailing to an early volley from Ferdi Kadioglu and losing Ibrahima Konate to an arm injury before the break.
Gomez replaced the France international at half-time, marking only his third Premier League appearance of the season and his first in his preferred centre-back position since September 2023.
The England international has seen limited playing time under Slot since returning from Euro 2024.
His potential departure from Liverpool in the summer was widely discussed, particularly after a transfer to Newcastle United was agreed upon in late June.
That deal would have involved Anthony Gordon moving to Anfield in exchange.
However, the switch ultimately fell through.
Despite speculation surrounding his future, Gomez remained part of the squad, even being omitted from the matchday roster for Liverpool’s Premier League opener against Ipswich Town as he contemplated his options.
Now, with Gomez poised to start against Bayer Leverkusen on Tuesday night if Konate is sidelined, Slot has lauded the 27-year-old’s mentality.
He shared insights into what he learned about Gomez after taking over as Liverpool head coach from Jurgen Klopp.
“It says a lot about his mentality today, it also says a lot about his quality,” the Dutchman said.
“If you don’t play that much and you come in in a game where your team-mates were outplayed for 45 minutes, that you can come in and play like this.
“And it also says a lot about his mentality in the recent weeks and months where he didn’t play that much.
“But he was able, without playing a lot, to play 90 minutes on Wednesday and to bring in a performance like this on Saturday.
“But this is what people told me when I came in. Joe is a top, top, top professional who always, no matter what position he is in, he always gives the best for the team and for himself in the end as well.
“He got the reward for it today because I think the fans loved what they saw. I definitely did.”
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