2 winners and 2 losers after a week of mixed emotions for Liverpool
Liverpool started this week's round of fixtures win a solid win over Chelsea in the Carabao Cup, but the loss to Arsenal on Sunday has soured the feeling amongst fans and players alike.
The Reds competed against Chelsea for large parts of the cup tie with a second string squad, before bringing on the big guns at the end to help with penalties.
Andoni Iraola's decision was fruitful, with only Kostas Tsimikas and Ryan Gravenberch, who both started the game, missing their penalties.
Liverpool were full of confidence going into Sunday's fixture, beating high-flying Brighton the weekend prior and in good form, but much was left to be desired after yesterday's performance.
The visitors went ahead early on, and Liverpool struggled to create many goalscoring opportunities after, and for the first time since 2003, failed to register a shot on target at Anfield.
Liverpool were unlucky to not have been awarded a penalty for an obvious pull on Alexander Isak's shirt by Jurrien Timber, but didn't deserve much more from their attacking exploits.
So, who were the winners and losers from last week's fixtures?
Winners
1 - Trey Nyoni
This feels like a coming of age moment for Liverpool's young midfielder.
In circumstances similar to Trent Alexander-Arnold's introduction to the Liverpool starting XI all those years ago, Trey Nyoni has benefitted from injuries or poor form in the Reds' engine room.
And he has grabbed the opportunity with both hands. He stood out against Arsenal, Chelsea, and Villareal for how assured and confident he is on the ball.
Unafraid to demand it from the centre-backs, before spraying it out wide or finding a player in-between the lines, Nyoni has offered the Reds something different in midfield.
His minutes will need to be managed at such a young age, but the future is bright for Liverpool's number 42.
2 - Rio Ngumoha
Similarly to Nyoni, Rio Ngumoha has really shone this season. His performance against Villarreal was sublime and deserved all the plaudits he received and more.
However, like the number 42, it's clear his minutes are being managed. As we can see from players like Bukayo Saka, Alexander-Arnold and even Lamine Yamal, playing too many minutes early in your career can lead to injury issues down the line.
Jayden Danns and Stefan Bajčetić have experienced injury issues during their time at Liverpool, partly due to growing pains, but also due to playing more minutes than they might be ready for.
The Reds will be keen to avoid a repeat of such circumstances.
Nevertheless, Liverpool desperately needed an injection of speed and creativity against Arsenal that Ngumoha can bring earlier than the 67th minute. But, it's important to ensure the number 73 stays as injury free as possible.
He will have a large part to play during the rest of the season, and while it looks as though Iraola is keen to keep him for cup or knock-out competitions, the young winger will have a big influence over the next few months.
Losers:
1 - Ryan Gravenberch
It's been a week to forget for the 24 year-old.
The Dutch midfielder had a disaster-class against Chelsea, giving away a penalty for a rash, silly challenge, and then didn't play well for the rest of the match.
To round off his poor performance, his penalty in the shootout was easily saved and meant the Reds had to rely on Giorgi Mamardashvili to keep them in the cup.
He then didn't feature at all against Arsenal, with Trey Nyoni playing for the majority of the game and performing very well in his first full Premier League start.
The number 38 currently has a lot of work to do to convince Iraola he deserves to come on, let alone have a spot in the starting XI.
The issue for the Reds is that he has only recently signed a new contract. With Mac Allister performing well but also amidst a contract renewal opportunity, it remains to be seen what will happen to Liverpool's Dutch midfielder in the long term.
2 - Kostas Tsimikas
The Greek Scouser has had a mixed return to Anfield after his loan at Roma.
There have been times where Milos Kerkez has frustrated, and Kostas Tsimikas has then performed well in the next game, like against LASK.
But against Chelsea he struggled. Simple passes and touches went astray and this all culminated in a missed penalty.
He has had similar performances against Fulham, where he doesn't quite reach the expectations for a Liverpool player. But his set-pieces are so dangerous and he does have a good game in him, which makes is frustrating that he can't be consistent.
Kerkez also hasn't lived up to expectations, which would be a great opportunity for the Greek defender to cement a place in the starting XI, but unlike Nyoni, he hasn't taken the opportunity presented to him.
It may be time to move him on in the summer, and have someone else challenge Kerkez's role in the starting line-up. Or, try Joe Gomez at left-back again.
The Reds are next in action away to Fenerbahçe SK on Wednesday in the Champions League where Iraola will hope to keep his 100% record in this year's competition.
