Jamie Carragher has called on Liverpool defenders Joel Matip and Joe Gomez to mantle the responsibility of leadership in the absence of Virgil van Dijk.
Monday's 2-0 Merseyside derby victory was just the sixth time Matip and Gomez have started alongside one another in the heart of the Reds defence, despite being team-mates since July 2016. The Anfield victory was also the first clean sheet the pair have accomplished in the Premier League.
And although Jurgen Klopp was able to prematurely welcome Van Dijk back into the squad for the 242nd clash between the two city rivals separated by the green of Stanley Park, the Dutch international was not summoned into action for the victory over the Blues.
LFC RATINGS: Stefan Bajcetic and two others shine in win over Everton
READ MORE: What happened to Jordan Pickford set tone for Liverpool inside 20 minutes
The 31-year-old was substituted at half-time of the Reds' 3-1 defeat at Brentford last month after complaining of a hamstring and was swiftly joined on the sidelines by Ibrahima Konate who suffered a similar issue in the FA Cup defeat at Brighton and Hove Albion on January 29.
It means follow recent outings against Wolverhampton Wanderers and Everton, Gomez and Matip have now started consecutive Premier League fixtures alongside one another for the first time in their Anfield careers. While the first of those outings, which came in the 3-0 defeat at Molineux last Saturday, hardly basked either individual in glory, Monday night's showing was a welcomed reaction.
But prior to Klopp's latest Merseyside triumph, which took him level with Rafa Benitez on eight wins, Carragher tasked Gomez and Matip with improving their off-the-ball qualities and replacing the control that had been lost in the absence of Van Dijk.
"I think some leadership," said Carragher, when asked what he'd like to see from the pair prior to kick-off at Anfield on Monday night. "We know there are some qualities there, playing for Liverpool they’ve had great success. But with Virgil van Dijk, it’s a lot easier playing with one of the best centre-backs in world football, he’s not there and you’ve got to stand up and someone has to take that mantle.
"One of them does, you always need a leader in the centre of that defence who basically organises the rest of the back four, and I just feel that’s certainly been lacking in the last few weeks when they’ve been together as a centre-back pair."
He added: "Liverpool have played four league games since the turn of the year and they’ve conceded three goals in three of them which is not acceptable, certainly with the opposition they were up against."
And while Van Dijk's return to the Reds indicated that he could be just a few weeks away from returning to the field, with his continued recovery from a hamstring issue expected to be upped once more at the AXA Training Centre this week, the quick turnaround of fixtures means the Gomez-Matip partnership could be continued for the Reds' trip to the North East on Saturday.
READ NEXT:
Liverpool statement tells UEFA to 'do right thing' and make 21 urgent changes
National media make 'threatening' Liverpool point after new discovery against Everton
Cody Gakpo may have a new best position as Mohamed Salah proved right
Everton have just given Liverpool exactly what they needed to spark transformation
