Pedro Chirivella delivered a midfield masterclass alongside Adam Lallana and Curtis Jones against Everton.
Joel RabinowitzStaff Writer
Pedro Chirivella was magnificent in the 1-0 FA Cup win vs Everton at Anfield, making just his ninth appearance for the club. (Image: Photo by Alex Dodd - CameraSport via Getty Images)
In a performance which had so much to be admired, from the spectacular match-winning strike from Curtis Jones, scoring his first goal for his boyhood club, to the excellence of teenage duo Neco Williams and Yasser Larouci at full-back, there was a less heralded figure who enjoyed undoubtedly the finest moment of his Liverpool career to date.
Pedro Chirivella has been a Liverpool player for six and-a-half years now, having arrived as 16-year-old from Valencia's academy in the summer of 2013, but for various reasons, it hasn't ever quite happened for him.
Despite having featured five times for the senior side back in Jürgen Klopp's debut season in 2015/16, the Spaniard has never quite made the permanent breakthrough from the U23s, with two loan spells in the Netherlands along the way offering him the chance to play competitive first team football in order to accelerate his development.
Why Liverpool's FA Cup triumph vs Everton is one of Klopp's greatest ever
In the land of Lionel Messi, Liverpool's heart is beating strong
It may have come as a surprise to some earlier this season to discover that he is in fact still a Liverpool player, such was the extent to which his name had dropped off the radar until he became the subject of a rule breach when Liverpool used him against MK Dons in the League Cup despite not being properly registered to appear in the competition.
Since then, he has featured off the bench in the 5-5 thriller against Arsenal, as well as in the 5-0 defeat to Aston Villa while Liverpool's entire senior squad were in Qatar for the Club World Cup. Chirivella played well enough that night, but it was telling that even at the age of 22, he very much remained part of the U23 set-up, as opposed to the likes of Curtis Jones and Neco Williams, both of whom had traveled as part of the senior squad to Qatar.
(Image: Photo by John Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
But on Sunday in the FA Cup third round, Chirivella was handed another opportunity by Klopp, this time starting alongside Jones and Adam Lallana in midfield against a full strength Everton outfit desperately looking to land a first victory at Anfield since 1999.
Some may have balked at seeing his name in the starting lineup, as though Chirivella's name alone was evidence of how little this game mattered to Klopp. In reality, though, that couldn't have been further from the truth.
Why Minamino is Klopp's blank canvas, and can replace Firmino, Mané and Salah
For a player only making his ninth ever appearance for Liverpool, and with only solitary Premier League appearance to his name (a 3-1 defeat to Swansea in May 2016), Chirivella was a cut above anything Everton had to offer.
Together with the excellent Lallana and Jones, Chirivella helped make a show of Morgan Schneiderlin and Gylfi Sigurdsson, the Everton central midfield pairing with 459 Premier League appearances between them.
The Spaniard's accurate, intelligent use of the ball, ability to break up play and put Liverpool straight back on the front foot, and his ability to retain possession under pressure, was outstanding, as Liverpool controlled the midfield battle with relative ease.
Jordan Henderson improved in a way nobody thought possible at Liverpool
Liverpool don't need to apologise for dominance, no matter what media says
There exists a prevailing logic in football discourse that if a player hasn't broken through as a regular at a club like Liverpool by the time they reach the age of 22 or so, then they've failed to make the grade.
But the reality is, footballers develop at different rates, and Chirivella has seven or eight senior players ahead of him in his position in what is the best club side in world football right now. The circumstances could hardly be more difficult in that regard, and it is no negative reflection on him that he hasn't been able to reach that level.
Against Everton, he demonstrated that at the very least, he can have a very good career at a high level, whether that be at a lower Premier League club, in the Championship, or in a slightly slower-paced league abroad, where his technical ability can best shine through.
Get the most out of liverpool.com
Our aim at liverpool.com is to be bring the best writing about Liverpool Football Club to supporters Stateside, and worldwide. Whether you're interested in news reaction, transfer pieces, tactical analysis or matchday content, we've got plenty for you to enjoy.
Our content is produced with the club's large and ever-growing fanbase in the USA in mind. We want to help you feel closer to the team you love and also the wonderful city of Liverpool itself.
Follow liverpool.com on social media for tailor-made content:
And you can also join in the discussions with fellow fans and our writers on our dedicated Facebook group for US-based supporters.
Make sure to bookmark liverpool.com and check back regularly!
His current deal at Liverpool expires at the end of the season, and based on this evidence, he should not be short of suitors (it's a mystery that more clubs haven't already come in for him).
Regardless of whether he gets another chance in the next round of the cup, he will always be able to look back at this game and say he played a major part in helping Liverpool win a Merseyside derby.
And, as the likes of Suso, Iago Aspas and Luis Alberto have all shown in recent years, it's more than possible to be a major success elsewhere, even if it doesn't quite work out at Liverpool.