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Liverpool Academy Star Ovie Ejaria Emerges in EFL Cup Victory over Derby County
- Updated: September 21, 2016
Liverpool sealed a comfortable 3-0 victory away to Championship side Derby County on Tuesday night, securing progress to the fourth round of the EFL Cup and leaving manager Jurgen Klopp with plenty of positives to consider on the journey back up the M6.
Notably, this came as the Reds’ third win in succession, and their fourth in five games, with Klopp’s side reaching a plateau in form that is hugely encouraging at this early stage of the season—particularly given the calibre of opposition, having taken on Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea away from home already.
Further positives came from two debuts in Klopp’s starting lineup at Pride Park, with summer signing Loris Karius taking up his place in goal for his Liverpool bow and fellow new arrival Marko Grujic making his first start for the Reds after a previous cameo against Burnley in the Premier League.
There were also good signs from a trio of players returning from lay-offs, with Divock Origi making only his second start of the season after struggling for fitness and both Emre Can and Danny Ings recovering from injury to feature.
In terms of performance, there were a pair of excellent displays from Klopp’s Brazilian attacking duo, Roberto Firmino and Philippe Coutinho, who shone throughout, interchanging as part of Liverpool’s forward line.
Coutinho laid on two goals and scored another, providing the corner for Ragnar Klavan’s hooked opener before firing past Jonathan Mitchell to make it 2-0, and he then played Origi through to hammer home the Reds’ third of the night.
It was another emphatic display from Klopp’s blossoming Liverpool side, and one full of promise for the future, but aside from Karius, Can and Coutinho, perhaps the most encouraging development came with less than 15 minutes to play, with academy midfielder Ovie Ejaria introduced for his debut.
77: What a moment.◀ Firmino▶ Ejaria[0-3] #DCFCvLFC pic.twitter.com/vW5u8cE2D1
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) September 20, 2016
Klopp deployed his now-typical 4-3-3 formation in Derbyshire, with Karius taking his position behind a back four of Klavan, Joel Matip, Nathaniel Clyne and Alberto Moreno, while Grujic was joined by the experienced duo of Lucas Leiva and Jordan Henderson in midfield.
Firmino, Coutinho and Origi formed Klopp’s three-man forward line, and this is where Ejaria slotted in when replacing the former on 77 minutes; though at his best in a more central playmaking role, the tall, lithe Ejaria’s technical quality and tactical intelligence allow him to perform in a variety of attacking duties.
It was far from an impactful performance from the 18-year-old, with the result sealed before his arrival and Liverpool’s approach dropping in tempo, but it was certainly a significant one—as a marker of the rapid rise he has enjoyed in the Reds’ academy, from under-18s to first team in two years.
This …
