Liverpool youngster Kevin Stewart put in a solid display against Tottenham.
Liverpool’s Kevin Stewart in action with Tottenham’s Josh Onomah
Liverpool beat Tottenham Hotspur 2-1 in the EFL Cup on Wednesday evening – and one ex-Spurs youngster impressed for the Reds.
Jurgen Klopp’s men went into a 2-0 lead at Anfield as Daniel Sturridge scored either side of half time, and whilst Vincent Janssen converted a penalty after Erik Lamela was fouled, Spurs couldn’t fight back.
Liverpool’s Kevin Stewart in action with Tottenham’s Eric Dier
Liverpool now head into the last eight, and manager Klopp will be pleased that his fringe players impressed, with midfielder Kevin Stewart particularly catching the eye.
Stewart, 23, started in a holding midfield role as Klopp went with a midfield diamond against Spurs, and the statistics from his performane show just how important he was in Liverpool’s win.
Stewart had 84 touches of the ball in 90 minutes, the most of any Liverpool player, and only bettered by Ben Davies and Kieran Trippier of any players on the pitch.
Kevin Stewart in action for Tottenham
With five tackles and four interceptions, only Lucas bettered Stewart in those two defensive areas, whilst he also had the third highest amount of clearances in the game with three – only Ragnar Klavan and Kevin Wimmer had more.
It was a calm, composed and solid display from Stewart, who protected his back four and kept possession ticking over, and he gave Spurs a glimpse of what they are missing out on.
Kevin Stewart in action for Tottenham
The Enfield-born ace started his career in the youth ranks at Tottenham, alongside players like Tom Carroll, Ryan Mason, Andros Townsend and Harry Kane, but chose to leave White Hart Lane for Anfield in the summer of 2014.
Stewart may never become a real star, but he showed on Tuesday night that he can play a role in front of the back four, and put in a sound performance, producing better numbers than Spurs midfielders Harry Winks and Eric Dier from a defensive perspective – and Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino may wonder what he could have done with Stewart had he stayed at White Hart Lane, with a sense that he may have been one to get away from Spurs amid so much success for their youth academy in recent years.
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