Last season's match between Liverpool and Tottenham might as well have been dubbed the Andy Robertson show.
The Scottish defender completed an unlikely treble in north London in the 2-2 draw. He set up Diogo Jota's goal to make it 1-1, then scored himself, before earning a straight red card - after a VAR check - following a foul on Emerson Royal.
Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp was left fuming after the game, though the decision from referee Paul Tierney to send off Robertson wasn't the only bone of contention. Now, though, the Reds left-back has a chance to show he and his team-mates have got over their recent defensive woes.
Robertson was also the victim of a dangerous challenge from Harry Kane earlier in the game, and Klopp said "yes, definitely" when asked if the England captain deserved to be shown his marching orders.
"You can give Robbo a red card," the former Borussia Dortmund manager said. "It is not the smartest challenge but that [the Kane challenge] is definitely a red card. No doubt about it.
"His leg was in the air, it was pure coincidence. Harry cannot judge it. If Robbo’s leg is on the ground it is a broken leg. We have a VAR sitting there and he thinks have a look again at Robertson again. Fine that’s what he is there for. But what did he do in that situation?"
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Robertson's dismissal hit Liverpool hard. Not only were they held to a draw against Spurs, but they lost their next game - away at Leicester - with the defender suspended, before drawing against Chelsea.
Klopp's team didn't lose again until the Champions League final in May. In the 17 games after Robertson's return from his ban, they won 15 and drew two, but it wasn't quite enough to pip Manchester City to the title.
It has been nowhere near as close this season, with last season's runners-up languishing in mid-table. Defensive worries have been a factor, with Robertson far from the only guilty party in a run of 12 games which have brought just four clean sheets and four wins.
There have been a few green shoots, though. Robertson recorded back-to-back assists for the first time all season in October, laying on a goal for Darwin Nunez against Ajax before setting up Mohamed Salah's equaliser against Leeds.
The latter of those two games wasn't the best, with Crysencio Summerville scoring a late winner for Jesse Marsch's side. It was a reminder of Robertson's assets going forward, though, after Kostas Tsimikas' form prompted questions from some fans about which player was the better option at left-back.
Tsimikas got the nod in midweek as Liverpool rounded off their Champions League group-stage campaign with a win, but now it could be time for Robertson to step back into the fold. The former Hull City man may well feel he has unfinished business after last season's clash with Spurs, and Liverpool will want him to channel that into the kind of performance that can see them approach the World Cup break on a higher note.
