Liverpool star is a breath of fresh air, leaving Andoni Iraola with a tough choice after the LASK win.
Liverpool fans are buzzing after seeing a young player’s standout performance in the 6-3 win over LASK, making some think coach Andoni Iraola might have to bench a senior first-team player.
Liverpool easily handled the Austrian team on Wednesday (October 14), with several players shining at the Raiffeisen Arena. Iraola was missing injured stars Cody Gakpo, Dominik Szoboszlai, and Alexander Isak. Captain Virgil van Dijk was rested and started on the bench, while Kostas Tsimikas surprisingly wore the captain’s armband.
Some fans questioned that choice at first, but Tsimikas quickly proved himself by assisting Ronald Araújo’s header to score the opener in the 22nd minute. Lewis Koumas then set up Bradley Barcola for a goal, his first since joining from Paris Saint-Germain.
Barcola didn’t stop there—he scored again before halftime, finishing a smart pass from Wirtz. Liverpool kept the pressure on, with Jeremie Frimpong adding a fourth goal in the 51st minute from a Tsimikas cross.
LASK managed to score in the 63rd minute after a defensive slip, but Barcola completed his hat-trick just three minutes later. Koumas made it six goals for Liverpool in the 72nd minute, with Frimpong assisting again. LASK fought back with two late goals from Florian Flecker, making the final 6-3.
Though many Liverpool players impressed, it was teenager Trey Nyoni who grabbed the most attention for his calm and confident play in midfield. Filling in for regular starter Alexis Mac Allister, Nyoni may have given Iraola a big decision ahead of the weekend’s game against Brentford.
On social media, fans couldn’t stop praising Nyoni:
“Trey Nyoni gives Iraola so many options. His calm when getting the ball lets the team play a 4-3-3 with both 8s pushing forward. Press him hard, and he uses quick dribbles to escape. Give him space, and he controls the game and links everything up. His talent is incredible.”
Another fan said, “Nyoni changes our build-up play so much. We need to start him every week. Iraola also needs to back him with new full-backs next transfer window and improve coaching on attacking patterns.”
Others added:
“He needs more regular games. His composure for such a young player is amazing.”
“He plays like a seasoned pro, even though he’s only 19. He moves smoothly and makes it all look easy.”
“Trey should get chances in the league. He’s great on the ball and enjoys sitting deep to let others push forward.”
“Nyoni fits well alongside Ryan Gravenberch. Both control the game and deserve more minutes.”
“One thing’s clear: everyone is working hard. Rio and Koumas did great, Nyoni was a fresh spark in midfield, and the link-up between Wirtz and Barcola was fantastic. Keep it up, lads!”
Fans are excited to see what Nyoni and the team can do next!