Since the Champions League group-stages were drawn back in August, Ryan Kent and Ben Davies would have been waiting eagerly in anticipation for October 4 and the chance to face former club Liverpool back at Anfield.
Between them, they had just 57 minutes of competitive action to show from during their time in Red. With all of that falling Kent ’s way when starting an FA Cup third round tie away at Exeter City back in January 2016, neither had experienced playing competitively at Anfield with this month’s two ‘Battle of Britain’ ties handing both the opportunity to prove a point to their former club and old boss, Jurgen Klopp, who sanctioned both their exits.
Be it when stepping up through the Liverpool academy or signing for the Reds on transfer deadline day, at one point or another both players would have dreamed of running out for a famous Anfield European night. Now on Tuesday night, admittedly for an opposing side, such dreams belatedly became a reality even if it was never as originally envisioned.
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“It’s good to be back,” Davies told BT Sport before kick-off. “I didn’t expect to be back this soon but then we qualified for the Champions League and the draw got made so, yeah, I’m happy to be here.
“I’ve been on the bench a few times in the Champions League but never got on, so to be starting is special. It would be at Anfield, so a big night for me and my family and the boys, but we’re all looking forward to it. I had a bit of a break in pre-season then broke down in the first game so we took our time. I had a good 45 minutes on Saturday and feel good going into it tonight.
"I used to see each day that they’re world-class players. It’s the Champions League, any team you come up against are going to be really good. We need to have our best game possible and hope Liverpool have an off day, take our chances and work hard and intensely in defending. It’ll be a great night. We’re not here to turn up and have a Champions League night, we’re here to make our mark on the game and take it to them the best way possible.
“We’re always confident going into any game. I don’t think this is different and I don’t think you can pay too much attention to form. People were probably saying that a few weeks ago and they put nine past Bournemouth. I’m not interested in that, I’m focusing on us. We've got confidence in ourselves and hope we can put on a good show.”
Sadly for Davies, Rangers failed to live up to such pre-match expectations. Despite being out of form and enduring a slow start to the season, Liverpool dominated the Scottish giants from start to finish. In truth, only Alan McGregor’s performance in goal prevented them from winning more emphatically as a Trent Alexander-Arnold free-kick and Mohamed Salah penalty sealed a 2-0 win.
As a result, it was not the night Davies, Kent or Rangers were hoping for as they were left pointless and goalless after three Champions League group games played. With their side outplayed, neither had the chance to leave their desired mark at their old stomping ground.
Stationed on the left in a 5-4-1 formation, Kent was always likely to be isolated against Liverpool as he looked to get the better of his fellow Reds academy graduate, Alexander-Arnold. With the right-back out of form and the pair going way back, perhaps he would have been better placed than most to prey on his weaknesses and lack of confidence by exploiting the space behind.
A change of system from Klopp and early goal from the England international ensured such opportunities would not unfold, yet the 25-year-old still showed signs of his talent as he outshone fellow ‘Gers starting forwards Alfredo Morelos and Malik Tillman.
Attempting 10 dribbles and completing four, both totals were more than anyone else on the pitch. In contraste, substitute Rabbi Matondo was the only other Rangers player to successfully complete a single dribble.
One particularly impressive run saw Kent skip away from Jordan Henderson with a smart ‘Zidane turn’ and get in behind Alexander-Arnold, only to be forced to settle for a free-kick after being tripped by the chasing full-back. He'd then fire a rare Rangers shot off-target into the Kop moments later after the subsequent set-piece came back off the wall.
You can imagine such clashes being frequent at the Academy and at Melwood prior to the winger’s 2019 permanent exit, given he always impressed for Liverpool when turned to in pre-season at least, even getting the better of Bayern Munich on one such occasion.
Perhaps Kent just came through the Reds academy at the wrong moment in time, on the eve of the success Klopp was about to deliver. Enjoying contrasting fortunes on loan at Coventry City, Barnsley, SC Freiburg, Bristol City and Rangers, he watched on from afar as the German transformed Liverpool from mid-table fodder into Champions League finalists.
A few years older and he would surely have played more times for the Reds, even if it had resulted in an equally premature exit. After all, while Klopp’s Liverpool might have outgrown the majority of their academy hopefuls on their way to becoming English, European and world champions, it would have been a different story under the likes of Kenny Dalglish or Brendan Rodgers.
After the final whistle at Anfield, Klopp sought out Kent and took to the pitch with his arm around his former winger, no doubt thrilled by the success he has continued to enjoy in Scotland. Repeatedly linked with a Premier League return, and out of contract next summer, it would not be a surprise if such reunions on opposing sides soon became more frequent.
Liverpool are of course set to profit if Rangers choose to sell in January rather than allow him to depart for free, having included a 20% profit sell-on clause in the £7m deal that took him to Ibrox. But that won’t be the primary reason behind their pride at seeing one academy graduate belatedly share their stage.
But while Kent could indeed soon become a more frequent foe and has showcased enough of his talents, even when left isolated at Anfield, to demonstrate he can cause top sides problems, there was a slightly different assessment of Davies’ offerings three months on from his own Reds exit.
When signed back in 2021 in response to Liverpool’s centre-back injury crisis, while Klopp admitted it was not a signing the club would complete in normal circumstances, it was still a surprise that the defender never even got the opportunity to kick a ball in anger during his time in Red. Less of a surprise was him getting nowhere near the starting XI when everyone was back fit and the German's side were at their best once more.
Aside from a 10-minute substitute appearance against Osasuna last year, Tuesday night offered supporters a first real look at one of the club’s most strangest signings in recent times. On a busy night handling Mohamed Salah, Darwin Nunez, Diogo Jota and Luis Diaz, let’s just say that while Kopites might have been bemused at his lack of game-time when on the club’s books and wondered what he was doing in training to not even be afforded an opportunity, the 27-year-old will not have left them wondering what could have been when departing Anfield after the final whistle.
That’s not to say he was shown up by Klopp’s Reds, not at all. But in truth, Davies wasn’t even Rangers’ most impressive defender as they tried in vain to stop shots raining down on McGregor’s goal.
Yes, he won two of his four aerial battles and both of his tackles attempted, and completed five clearances and two interceptions on a busy night against Liverpool’s new-look front four. Yet it was Connor Goldson, a player Anfield sources confirmed had been used as an example to set their £4m asking price for Davies, that defensively caught the eye.
The former Shrewsbury Town and Brighton & Hove Albion defender completed four of his five tackles and completed 10 clearances from the heart of the Rangers defence as he continued to put his body on the line in a bid to block shots and see out Liverpool danger.
Meanwhile, he was also more successful on the ball than Davies, boasting a 90% pass accuracy compared to the former Reds’ total of 82%, completing 35 of his 39 attempted passes in contrast to Davies’ return of 31 from 38. All such returns were the highest in the Rangers camp.
Of course, the Reds would never look to sign Goldson and only brought in Davies as an opportunistic acquisition as desperate times called for desperate measures. As a result, he has seemingly found his level at Rangers. Previously a Championship defender dreaming of Champions League football, he might have belatedly been able to sample such an experience at Anfield, but it was far more suited on the opposing side than when he waited in vain on the Reds bench to be turned to by Klopp.
Now his presence merely offered a fresh reminder of his Liverpool fate and presented new questions regarding the Reds’ latest loan signing, Arthur Melo, after the Brazil international’s, who has made just one 13-minute substitute appearance for the club so far, own absence from Klopp’s matchday squad entirely against Rangers.
Both Kent and Davies were replaced in the 81st minute as Giovanni van Bronckhorst changed formation, with it only then Rangers really threatened Liverpool. Departing with their heads drooped after seeing their numbers held a loft, the night admittedly did not go as planned as they limited showings answered any hanging Reds questions of 'What could have been' from their own time at the club.
Of course, it’s no slant on Kent and Davies that their impact when playing for Liverpool was minimal at best. While their Anfield returns didn’t go to plan and live up to those previous dreams and expectations, they will get a second bite against the Reds next week when they travel to Ibrox on Wednesday 12 October.
And while they’ll be hoping for a more successful night against their former employers next time out, the manner of Klopp’s side’s victory, despite being out of form, just showcased no matter how you fare elsewhere, you really do need to be just right if you are to stand a chance of making the grade under the German in his side of all-conquering mentality monsters. Right club or not for the pair, who’s to say. But at the very least, Kent and Davies were at Liverpool at the wrong time to stand any chance of making their desired impact.
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