Defenders
Nathaniel Clyne
For a side often criticised for their porous backline, Liverpool did a great job of preserving their three-goal lead, none more so than Nathaniel Clyne. He was a rock on the right flank as he kept the Middlesborough attackers at bay while simultaneously adding width to his own side’s attack.The English defender even pulled off an assist for Liverpool’s opener.
Nathan Ake
As a centre-back, Nathan Ake should have been concerned considering how lethal Leicester City was against Pep Guardiola’s men last weekend. However, the young loanee from Chelsea held his own and did some great defensive work in front of his keeper. The 21-year-old defender rarely made a bad pass and had some precise tackles up his sleeve. He was confident about his work and made three crucial interceptions.
Ryan Shawcross
The Potters defender had his work cut out for him as his side was reduced to 10 men early in the game. However, Ryan Shawcross defended his goal well in spite of Southampton dominating possession and much of the attack. The English centre-back helped his team out of a potentially sticky situation by playing out a hard-fought draw for a single point.
Danny Rose
Spurs went the Antonio Conte way with Danny Rose playing as a full back on the left flank and he seemed to do a pretty good job. Not only did Mike Phelan’s charges fail to score, but the English defender got in an assist for Christian Eriksen’s first goal. Rose did some great work in the final third too as he ended the match with a passing accuracy of 93% – exactly what Pochettino would want from a wing back.
