Liverpool produced arguably the most convincing display of their largely tepid unbeaten run on Wednesday night in France, storming into one of Europe’s most hostile stadiums and emerging with a 3–0 CL victory over Marsielle that could have been even more emphatic were it not for marginal offside calls and efforts that struck the woodwork.
While nearly all of the Reds impressed across the pitch, I was particularly struck by the combined fullback performance of Jeremie Frimpong and Milos Kerkez.
The Dutchman executed excellent on-ball skills that led to Marseille’s own goal, while the Hungarian delivered what was, in my view, the finest defensive display of his young Liverpool career.
Frimpong’s strong form has been well documented of late, but given the (at least partially deserved) criticism Milos received early in the season for his performances, his recent outings warrant strong praise.
A boss European night
Aside from a match in which they were reduced to ten men on Jan. 4, the attack-minded Marseille had not been held scoreless since Dec. 5— yet Milos played without any trepidation against the French side’s forward-thinking football.
He looked entirely assured in his defensive duties at the Orange Vélodrome, recording three tackles and four recoveries while winning four of his five ground duels and three of five in the air— a rock-solid performance that underpinned a much-needed clean sheet.
The left back even came close to claiming an assist in the 63rd minute, when a well-placed strike from Florian Wirtz was met by an equally impressive save— an encouraging sign that Milos is growing in confidence when pushing forward as well.
One subtler moment that stood out to me came when a dangerous ball was whipped into the Liverpool box with Kerkez in the vicinity.
Earlier in the season, Milos might have panicked or made a rash defensive decision, but instead he showed composure, aware that Alisson was close by and peeled away to allow his goalkeeper to claim it.
The play may have looked simple, yet it reflected a veteran’s calm— the kind that prevents a routine situation from becoming a problem.
Kerkez’s engine— much like that of his Hungarian compatriot Dominik Szoboszlai— is also becoming increasingly difficult to ignore.
His display against Marseille marked the third time in his last four appearances that he completed the full 90 minutes, underlining the tireless spirit he has brought to the club.
Milos has been steadily improving across his last handful of appearances, and Wednesday felt like a genuine coming-out performance.
He and Wirtz both deserve significant credit for continuing to work through the noise and criticism, and if that trajectory continues, Milos could play a key role in propelling Liverpool on a deep run into the Champions League knockout stages in his debut season in the competition.
An encouraging domestic run
Liverpool’s hopes of retaining the league title are over, but with the race for the top four still alive—and the clear opportunity for players to continue developing—Milos has impressed in his last couple of Premier League appearances, at least in my view.
Arsenal are, begrudgingly, playing like one of—if not the best—teams in the world this season, leading the Premier League by seven points and winning all seven of their Champions League group-stage games so far. But against Liverpool, Kerkez shut them down.
Tasked with marking the ever-dangerous Bukayo Saka, the No. 6 produced one interception, a blocked shot, a perfect tackle rate (4/4), and won five of seven duels, keeping the English international at bay and helping keep an Arsenal side that usually finds the net scoreless.
Saka may have gotten past him once or twice, but even when beaten, Kerkez displayed a clear determination to recover and make whatever desperate defensive actions were required, showing both courage and composure in front of an Emirates crowd that was absolutely baying for blood.
He was called into defensive duties far less against Burnley, but the outing was marked by a strong showing on the ball.
Had it not been for an excellent clearance from Lucas Pires denying him the chance to set up Curtis Jones for a tap-in in the third minute, he very well could have recorded his first Liverpool assist—a milestone I have no doubt will come soon.
Additionally, while Liverpool—and Kerkez in particular—had previously been singled out as a team that struggled to defend set-piece opportunities, the Reds have now gone six matches without conceding from a set piece. That hardly feels like a coincidence, as it roughly coincides with the period in which he has truly flourished.
If anything, amid a disappointing season, Liverpool fans have almost been re-taught patience.
Frustrated with Arne Slot after a run of defeats? He soon delivered a 13-game unbeaten streak that’s still ongoing. Impatient for Florian Wirtz to “arrive”? Now he has. And the same seems to be unfolding with Kerkez.
Was he erratic and frustrating earlier on? Sure—but loyal fans stick with their players through both the highs and lows.
I have every confidence that the Hungarian can become a key part of this squad for years to come, especially with Andy Robertson seemingly in the twilight of his Liverpool career.
It’s worth remembering why Kerkez was a Premier League Team of the Season player last year, and he deserves credit for coming close to recapturing that form following a high-pressure move to England’s most successful club.