Apart from against Motherwell, our front three has rarely fired on all cylinders this season, part of the reason for this can be explained by Ryan Kent’s absence over the last couple of months.
The 24-year old returned to action against Brondby and served an almost immediate reminder of what we have been missing when he took three Brondby defenders out of the game with clever movement and an inch perfect first touch to go with his searing pace in the build up to Ianis Hagi‘s equaliser – it was also encouraging to see him put on the after burners that appeared to be missing earlier in the season.
One man who was impressed was former Gas gaffer Alex McCleish who praised Kent’s impact and moment of magic after coming off the bench, as sorted by Football Insider:
“The substitutes made a great impact, they were very lively.
“Brondby got a little bit mixed up and confused by the fact Stevie switched three and moved Aribo back into midfield.
“He got a really impressive performance from those three, particularly Ryan Kent and Hagi.
“Kent brings that change of pace. A great touch for his assist in the goal. It was a brilliant touch to lose not just one defender but I think three.
“He slipped a lovely ball through for Hagi.”
It was a bold move by Steven Gerrard to make three changes all at the same time, one that he doesn’t normally make, but it is why he has assembled such depth in his squad, to call on it when he needs it most.
We might not have secured the three points against Brondby but it wasn’t for the lack of Kent’s effort who looked as sharp as he ever has in a Light Blue shirt, his return to the side couldn’t have come at a better time with a packed fixture schedule and key fixtures in the league, league cup and Europe on the other side of the international break.
Kent’s back to tear them apart once again.