Liverpool continue their pursuit of a Champions League spot inside the top four after taking all three points from their Premier League clash with West Ham United at the London Stadium last night.
The Reds are now just six points behind Newcastle United and Manchester United ahead of their midweek fixtures tonight and Jurgen Klopp will surely be hoping that not only results can go their way but also that his team can continue to fight until the very end of the season with just six games remaining to close the gap.
Being away from home didn't stop Liverpool from absolutely dominating David Moyes' side all over the pitch with 72% possession, a higher number of shots on goal (20 v 7), more tackles (20) and more interceptions (17) over the end-to-end outing.
West Ham took the lead early in the first half with Lucas Paqueta taking his opportunity against a disjointed-looking Liverpool defence in the 12th minute, however, at the other end of the pitch the attacking threat were more switched on with Cody Gakpo spoiling the early celebrations in East London just six minutes later.
In the second half, it was all to play for and Jarrod Bowen would have felt hard done by when his converted shot on goal was stricken off due to offside in the 56th minute.
It was returning centre-back Joel Matip's bullet header that sealed the second for the Reds with just over 20 minutes to go.
Trent Alexander-Arnold continued to punish his opponents in the new inverted right-back position he has been excelling in over the last few weeks, tallying up another assist this evening for Gakpo's goal, however, it isn't just the full-back who has had a new lease of life in the team, with Curtis Jones being described as "just as important as Trent in this new system" by journalist Sam Maguire.
How did Curtis Jones get on vs West Ham?
Jones has earned the trust of his manager by featuring in the starting XI for the third time in a row at the London Stadium yesterday evening and, after sitting on the bench or recovering from injury for the majority of the season, has seemingly found his feet in the centre of the pitch.
Liverpool's midfield has been a cause for concern for many months, with injuries plaguing the midfield personnel and poor performances sparking calls for a complete overhaul in the summer.
Having said that, the £15k-per-week "massive talent" – as labelled by Klopp – has been keeping Harvey Elliott out of the team and has given glimpses of exactly what he can offer, with the latest performance last night a testament to the progress he is making.
Over his 84-minute performance, Jones had 89 touches of the ball, and completed a whopping 67 accurate passes with a 94% pass completion rate as a marker of his composure.
He further delivered three key passes, as well as winning six duels, five tackles and two interceptions, proving he was a huge all-round presence on the pitch, even being compared to a Liverpool hero of the past with 90min's Grizz Kan saying "Jones put in the closest 'Gini' like performance since Gini."
The midfielder's positive and hard-working performances have been a breath of fresh air in the middle third and Klopp will surely be delighted that the youngster is showing some consistency in his output, which will likely help him retain his place when Liverpool host Tottenham Hotspur this weekend.
With that being said, there is no doubt that Jones has been Klopp's unsung hero in the three consecutive victories picked up and, in an effort to continue the winning ways, the midfielder should be one of the first names on the teamsheet on Sunday.