Joel Matip made his first Premier League appearance for Liverpool this afternoon.
Burton Albion’s Calum Butcher in action with Liverpool’s Joel Matip
Liverpool picked up a point this afternoon as they drew 1-1 with Tottenham Hotspur at White Hart Lane, with Joel Matip making his Premier League debut.
The Reds were superb in the first half, and took the lead when Roberto Firmino was tripped by Erik Lamela inside the penalty area, with James Milner stepping up to send Michel Vorm the wrong way and put Jurgen Klopp’s men in front.
Liverpool’s Joel Matip in action with Burton Albion’s Marcus Harness
For an hour, Liverpool were impressive and should have been more than a goal to the good, but Spurs came bac kand grabbed an equaliser as Eric Dier’s cross was flicked on by Erik Lamela, and left back Danny Rose arrived to turn the ball home and rescue a point.
In an enthralling encounter, Liverpool may feel that they should have won the game – but one major positive came out of the clash, with defender Matip impressing.
Liverpool’s Joel Matip heads against the crossbar
A summer signing after his Schalke contract expired, Matip made his competitive bow against Burton Albion in an EFL Cup tie in midweek, and his performance handed him the chance to start against Tottenham this afternoon.
The Cameroonian international, 25, starred at White Hart Lane as he kept both Harry Kane and Vincent Janssen quiet, with fans taking to Twitter to rave about a player Liverpool signed on a free transfer.
Liverpool’s Joel Matip and Jordan Henderson applaud fans after drawing with Tottenham
Fans suggested that Matip was ‘solid as a rock’ against Tottenham, and had Kane in his pocket throughout, with the England international struggling to fashion clear-cut opportunities against Matip.
Others added that, on a free transfer, Matip looks to the bargain of the summer, and want Klopp to build his previously fragile defence around the giant centre back off the back of today’s performance.
Here are some of the reactions on Twitter after Matip’s performance against Tottenham…
What did you think of Matip’s display against Tottenham?
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