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Liverpool midfielder Alexis Mac Allister has praised youngsters Jarell Quansah, Conor Bradley and Bobby Clark following the club's win over Arsenal.
The Reds visited the Emirates Stadium for an FA Cup third-round fixture on Sunday, January 7. Despite the Gunners recording more possession (54%) and shots (18 to 12), the visitors came away with a 2-0 victory. Luis Diaz scored in the fifth minute of stoppage time after Jakub Kiwior's 80th-minute own-goal.
Liverpool were without multiple first-team stars for this game. Virgil van Dijk was absent due to illness, while Mohamed Salah and Wataru Endo are currently away on international duty. Dominik Szoboszlai, Joel Matip, Thiago Alcantara, Andrew Robertson, Kostas Tsimikas and Stefan Bajcetic also missed out due to injury.
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Mac Allister, who himself returned from a knee injury only last week, indicated that Quansah, Bradley and Clark helped the team navigate those absences to win at Arsenal. Quansah started the game as Van Dijk's replacement, while right-back Bradley and midfielder Clark came on in the 75th minute.
Mac Allister said (as quoted by the Liverpool Echo):
"We know how important they are for us, Virgil, Endo and Mo, but we always say that the other players have to step up and do their job.
"Quansah had an amazing game so it’s something we have to keep proving every single game because we are definitely going to miss them. I'm very happy for the young players as well who came into the game at a tough moment. I’m really happy for them because they deserved it."
The trio and Mac Allister could all play a part again when Liverpool host Fulham in the first leg of their EFL Cup semifinal on Wednesday, January 10.
A look at the stats of Quansah, Clark and Bradley from Liverpool's win over Arsenal
Jarell Quansah was immense in central defense alongside Ibrahima Konate for Liverpool in their FA Cup win over Arsenal.
The 20-year-old recorded two interceptions, a tackle and a clearance, while winning four of his seven duels. He also completed 87% of his passes and even laid out a key pass.
Conor Bradley, meanwhile, completed four of his six passes and made a tackle and an interception during his time on the pitch. He also won a foul and both his ground duels. More importantly, his arrival replacing Harvey Elliott allowed Trent Alexander-Arnold to move to midfield, giving the Reds more creativity upfront.
Lastly, Bobby Clark, who replaced Curtis Jones, completed both his attempted passes, including his only long ball attempt, while also making a clearance.
