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Fans online have lauded Liverpool defender Conor Bradley for his performance during the Reds' 2-1 comeback victory over Fulham in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday, January 10.
Liverpool hosted Marco Silva's Fulham in the first leg of the Carabao Cup semifinal on January 10. Former Chelsea attacker Willian helped the Cottagers get a decent start by scoring in the 19th minute. However, with the help of a few substitutions, the Reds managed to win the home game as Curtis Jones (68') and Cody Gakpo (71') scored in the second half.
Against Fulham, the Reds missed several big names such as Mohamed Salah (Africa Cup of Nations), Dominik Szoboszlai (hamstring injury), Wataru Endo (Asian Cup), and more. Another big name was Trent Alexander-Arnold. The Englishman is expected to miss a few weeks of action after he hyperextended his knee against Arsenal in the third round of the FA Cup on January 7.
In his place, Conor Bradley was called into the playing XI and the 20-year-old did a stellar job. The defender had a passing accuracy of 88 percent (49/56) while he also had a success rate of 100 percent in tackles (6/6). In addition to that, Bradley made six recoveries and created two chances. As a result, he was given the Player of the Match accolade.
Following Conor Bradley's performance, the world of football lauded the young Englishman. Some fans said he was exceptional against Liverpool while a few compared him with other Premier League defenders.
"Conor Bradley is 5/5 in tackles and 8/15 in ground duels. He's like Wan-Bissaka but he can actually play football," one fan wrote.
"He’s been brilliant tonight. Bright future," another user commented.
Here are a few more fan reactions:
Some fans stated that Bradley's style of play is like Andrew Robertson's:
A few users stated that the 20-year-old's name should be kept out of such conversations:
Fans also affirmed that he was the deserving Player of the Match winner:
Next up, the Reds will visit the Vitality Stadium to face Bournemouth on January 21 (Sunday) in the Premier League.
Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp addresses Darwin Nunez's luck against Fulham
Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has said that Darwin Nunez was unlucky in front of the net against Fulham on Wednesday. However, Klopp said he was happy with the Uruguayan's reaction after his effort was stopped.
In the 89th minute, Nunez came close to scoring with the help of a low cross from Bradley. However, Bernd Leno stopped the Uruguayan's shot into the net. Nevertheless, according to Klopp, Nunez missing a chance won't take away the credit he deserves for his performance against Fulham.
The 24-year-old assisted Curtis Jones and Cody Gakpo for their goals. Klopp said (via the official website of Liverpool):
“I don't know how to explain the Darwin situation. I'm so happy about our crowd and how they take it; I am so happy about Darwin's reaction and how he takes it, but you cannot be more unlucky than he was in this finishing situation."
He added:
“It is just not possible. He does absolutely everything right and then the ball is not in. Then he still sets up the other goal. I think that's really special to do that again. He did it for Mo [Salah] against West Ham, if I am right, and today for Cody. Super-special.”
This season, Darwin Nunez has made 30 appearances across different competitions for the Reds, where he has bagged eight goals and ten assists.
