It was perhaps the perfect example of the midfield malaise in which Liverpool have found themselves this season.
With Wednesday’s matchwinner Fabio Carvalho having become lost among a typically hectic Merseyside derby, the youngster, employed in the three-strong engine room, was given the hook at half-time.
His replacement? Roberto Firmino, a player long recognised as an attacking fulcrum who had netted three times in his previous two games.
