Arne Slot stumbles on unstoppable partnership NO ONE saw coming

Liverpool went into the Chelsea fixture without Alexis Mac Allister ready to start. That led to a new midfielder - and it's one that now looks unstoppable.

Ideally, Alexis Mac Allister would have lined up against Chelsea. An ill-advised trip to Argentina for the international break appears to have been the reason he didn't.

And so instead, Curtis Jones was Ryan Gravenberch's partner in the middle. For a major Premier League clash with in-form Chelsea. One where the Reds wanted to keep it tight and frustrate Chelsea.

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Now, if you're told people a few months ago that this would be the plan, they'd be wondering what on earth is going on. Jones and Gravenberch? Two of the more risk-taking midfielders in the entire league?

Two players who don't really fancy defending and are notoriously unreliable? Lest we forget, Gravenberch's reputation at the start of the summer was such that Turkish outlets felt justified in linking him with Galatasaray.

Jones felt like a player who could seriously miss Klopp. The Scouser, for one, was the most dispossessed midfielder in Europe last season. Not exactly a reliable, possession-based player.

And yet, the pair look unstoppable.

Gravenberch and Jones

Jones was unanimously considered Liverpool's best player against Chelsea. He won the penalty, scored the second, and was comfortable defensively and in possession all night long.

Gravenberch, of course, has been viewed as Liverpool's best player of the season so far. The Dutchman won the club's POTM for September - and may well win it for October, too.

This was a midfield in form, then, and one that boasted all the confidence required to get the better of Chelsea. In fact, they complemented one another beautifully, with Gravenberch actually able to pick his moments to burst through midfield because Jones was willing to do his fair share every time he got the ball.

And that's why this midfield felt unstoppable. They're both so confident on the ball and so strong while under pressure. If anything, they're so confidence at retaining the ball that they take far too many risks with it (Jones, especially).

But when it flows like it did against Chelsea, Liverpool can bypass a talented opposition midfield with ease. The boost it gives the entire team is clear to see - how many times were the Reds all sprinting forward en masse because one of the midfielders had suddenly beaten the press?

Now, we're not suggesting that Jones should replace Mac Allister, nor that this is now some truly unstoppable midfield that will carry Liverpool to silverware. It's simply not ready for that - Jones is the elder statesman at 23 if you want the reason why.

We're still talking about two raw footballers but players who, if they develop consistently together over the next few years, could end up producing something remarkable. If Liverpool can consistently get performances out of the pair like Sunday's, then anything feels possible - because there's not a midfield on the planet who could keep them at bay.

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