Phil Thompson says one Liverpool player was ‘absolutely fantastic’ vs Galatasaray

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Liverpool suffered their second loss within a week, but some players managed to stand out more than others.The Reds have not been the most convincing at the start of the new season, but last-minute winners were getting them over the line.However, now that they have dried up, fingers are starting to be pointed, with Liverpool now losing back-to-back games for just the second time since Arne Slot took over.The Dutchman even went bold and made changes from the team that lost to Crystal Palace at the weekend, but even that was not enough to turn their fortunes around. Former Liverpool captain Phil Thompson believes there is one silver lining, though, with the ex-defender believing that one player proved that he was the best player on the pitch.Photo by YAGIZ GURTUG/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty ImagesCurtis Jones was Liverpool’s best playerThe Reds had to play six games in September, with this clash against Galatasaray the last, suggesting that fatigue could have played a role.To try and reduce this risk, Slot rotated a few of his stars, with the midfield seeing Curtis Jones come in for Alexis Mac Allister.The scouser is often heavily criticised and sometimes it is not justifiable, with the 24-year-old often used as the scapegoat.However, Thompson believes he stepped up on Tuesday night while his teammates did not, even going as far as saying he was the best player on the pitch for the Reds.“Can I just say, he was fantastic tonight.

Absolutely fantastic,” he said on The Official Liverpool FC Podcast after the game. READ MORE: Arne Slot explains decision to pick Jeremie Frimpong in attack for Liverpool vs Galatasaray and why it didn’t work“He was one of the shining lights, doing so many good things, getting in tough areas, turning in the correct areas, putting in a shift.“I thought he was absolutely our best player tonight.”Jones played the full 90 minutes, just the second time he has done that this season, and certainly made his presence felt, but whether it is enough to start more games going forward is yet to be seen.Curtis Jones’ performance by number vs GalatasarayOne thing about Jones is that when he has a good game, he is also good ‘on the eye’, meaning statistics are not needed to prove just how good he was.But in this case, his numbers vs the Turkish giants show just how important he was in the team, and without Jones in it, it might have been a very different story.Statistics vs Galatasaray Curtis JonesTouches 86Accurate Passes 61 (91%) Key Passes1Ground Duels Won 18 Fouls Won 5Total Tackles3Statistics from Sofascore and correct as of 01/10/25He got on the ball far more often than his midfield partner Ryan Gravenberch and made some important contributions by breaking up the play, although he probably has not got the recognition he deserves due to the scoreline.It is certainly a tough midfield to break into, but with Mac Allister struggling for form and Dominik Szoboszlai playing a lot of minutes this season, performances like this will not do his chances of being given more chances any harm.