By Valentine Ikpoba
A 6-3 away win against LASK in the Champions League midweek and a comeback 2-1 win against Brentford, also away from home, sealed an impressive week for Liverpool. Both these games had standout performers across the squad, but the summer's record-breaking signing stood out, scoring a hat-trick and providing an assist against Brentford to complete the comeback.
Barcola was the man of the match in the Champions League tie against LASK, a game that saw him score his first goal for the club and by the end of the second half he had the match ball. Liverpool were leading 3-0 at half-time, with the second and third goals of the half coming from Barcola. Latching onto a pass from the energetic youngster Koumas, Barcola opened his account with Liverpool, then doubled it shortly after with Wirtz turning provider. He completed his hat-trick just a few minutes after the hour mark.
Against Brentford, Barcola could have added to his midweek tally early in the game but dragged his effort wide in a one-on-one against former Liverpool goalkeeper Kelleher. He made up for that miss by turning provider for the winning goal, making it two consecutive wins after a frustrating defeat against City.
In a week that saw Liverpool score eight goals, Barcola was directly involved in 50 per cent of them with three goals and one assist. A commanding display that settled the nerves of fans who had been growing concerned about his lack of goal contributions since joining.
Context and What It Means
The £123m signing from PSG will always be under scrutiny, from fans who want to see him perform and rivals who want to prove a point. From the looks of his early-season form, doubters were having a field day. No matter how well a player performs on the field, if the goals and assists are not piling up, people are quick to label them a bust. Barcola's last two games have shown exactly what he has to offer, and a player with his skill set will be invaluable to every trophy charge Liverpool has ahead of them this season.
Credits: BBC
Honourable Mention
Florian Wirtz is a player who could easily have been player of the week in any other week. He produced a solid performance against LASK and was man of the match against Brentford, finishing the week with two assists, one of which was the goal that ignited the comeback.
Did You Know?
Despite his high-profile career and over 200 appearances, Bradley Barcola's hat-trick against LASK was his first career hat-trick.
Florian Wirtz created nine chances from open play, the most by any single player in a Premier League match over the last six seasons.
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