Jarell Quansah's eye-catching performance against LASK supported by impressive stats

It was an enjoyable night for Liverpool on Thursday as they hammered LASK 4-0 at Anfield.

The Reds secured top spot in Europa League Group E and direct passage to the round of 16, Mohamed Salah edged closer to his 200th goal in a Liverpool shirt and there was plenty of attacking football on show to entertain supporters throughout.

However, as is now seemingly the case every time he steps foot on the pitch, Jarell Quansah was again one of the stars of the show.

Liverpool managed a clean sheet against their Austrian opponents on Thursday, although they were not always incredibly convincing at the back. LASK created plenty of opportunities but couldn't find the killer touch to punish the Reds.

Regardless, Quansah impressed at Anfield and made some vital defensive contributions that ensured a clean sheet for the Reds in another outing reminiscent of a young Virgil van Dijk.

The centre-back showcased his composure, quality in possession and the defensive awareness needed to cope with some tricky LASK attackers.

All in all, it was another incredibly mature showing from the 20-year-old, with Jurgen Klopp quick to praise the defender after the full-time whistle.

"Jarell played a super game, that's true,” said the German in his post-match press conference. "That couldn't be better news for the club, to be honest. I think before this season a lot of people told us we should buy a centre-half.

"We knew we had Jarell. Did we know that he will show up like this? No, not exactly, but we were pretty hopeful, so the future is bright. It's cool."

Klopp was rightly pleased with Quansah's performance against LASK and the underlying numbers highlight just why the Liverpool boss is so enamoured with the England U21 international.

Despite the defence looking a little too open at times, Quansah's individual stats shone through.

He made more clearances (3) and headed clearances (2) than any other Liverpool player, while also managing to not be dribbled past once against LASK. There were also three recoveries from the youngster - more than centre-back partner Ibrahima Konate.

However, what was perhaps most admirable about Quansah's performance at Anfield was his ability with the ball at his feet.

Quansah had the fifth most touches of any player on the pitch (74) and attempted the most passes (66) in the game. He also made the most accurate passes (60), almost double the number of the best performing LASK player, as well as five passes into the final third - three more than Konate.

It's also worth remembering that Quansah features on the left-hand side of a back two, meaning the ball naturally falls to his left foot more frequently. Given he's right-footed, the 20-year-old has done remarkably well in terms of ball retention and progressive passing.

While LASK will not be the sternest opponents that Quansah will face in what is hopefully a long and successful career, the pace and trickery exhibited by the likes of Ibrahim Mustapha and Moses Usor still proved a test, and one that the defender passed with flying colours.