One Liverpool player will remember the 3-2 win over Brighton for all the right reasons.
In the Carabao Cup match at the Amex Stadium, Vitezslav Jaros made his first senior start for the Reds, following his debut as a substitute for the injured Alisson Becker in the recent win against Crystal Palace.
Though the 23-year-old didn’t keep a clean sheet, he made a crucial save early in the second half, denying Simon Adingra with a remarkable fingertip touch that kept Liverpool ahead right after Cody Gakpo’s goal.
Former Aston Villa midfielder Lee Hendrie, commenting on the save for Sky Sports, praised Jaros, stating, “What a save. He hung in the air, and Adingra must have thought he scored. Jaros managed to get a fingertip to it, forcing it away from goal. It was an exceptional save, just off the post.”
With Caoimhin Kelleher rested and Alisson still out, the match was a significant chance for Jaros to showcase his abilities, and he certainly took advantage. Besides the outstanding save against Adingra, he also stopped Tariq Lamptey early on and showed confidence in playing out from the back. Although he might feel he could have done better on the goal he conceded, overall, he performed impressively.
Jaros is likely to return to the bench when Liverpool faces Brighton again at Anfield on Saturday, with Kelleher back in the lineup and Alisson’s return imminent. Still, his performance at the Amex demonstrated he’s a reliable option for Liverpool.
With Giorgi Mamardashvili joining next year, competition will increase, but if Jaros continues to deliver strong performances, he could attract interest from other clubs and secure a lucrative transfer, much like Sepp van den Berg and Fabio Carvalho. For now, it’s clear that Slot’s confidence in him was well-placed, and he repaid that faith fully.
