Liverpool “Hungrier Than Ever” Says Joe Gomez

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Losing the Community Shield was a setback but the performance on Saturday wasn’t especially concerning.

The hope had been to kick off their 2020-21 season with silverware in the Community Shield against Arsenal, but having failed on penalties for the second year in a row Liverpool will be looking to quickly shrug off any disappointment just as they did a year ago.

What matters is the Premier League, and Liverpool’s attempted defence of their first domestic title in three decades. And on that front, there is no doubt that the team will be ready to go and hungrier than ever according to defender Joe Gomez.

“The gaffer instils in us that it’s a mental battle more than physical half the time,” Gomez noted. “So we’ll be ready and we have a squad full of quality to rotate when needs be. The main thing is, mentally we are ready. And I think everyone is hungrier than ever.”

The result on the weekend, a loss on penalties, was disappointing. Yet after a slightly deflated start that saw the two sides level by the metrics, the Reds dominated the second half. More often than not, it was a game they would have won in regulation.

Liverpool had more shots, more possession, and more than twice the expected goals based on the chances they created. They could have been better at times, and it showed minor issues to be worked on, but on the balance it was an acceptable performance.

“We created a fair few chances,” Gomez added. “There’s positives to take, as well as things we can work on. [Now we] work in that short period before we come back for the start of the season to correct those minor details and hopefully be ready.”

Source: liverpooloffside.sbnation.com