There was a touching moment before the match when Sky Sports pundit Daniel Sturridge, sporting a smart pink scarf, told Liverpool’s Joe Gomez: ‘You were once my baby bro, now you’re the longest-serving player.’
Gomez is now one of the big brothers at Liverpool. Still only 26, mind, but it feels like Gomez has been around for ever. He is the only survivor from when Jurgen Klopp took over at Liverpool in 2015.
It has not always been easy for Gomez, though. Indeed, there have probably been more hard times than good, given a long list of injuries - damaging his anterior cruciate ligaments, needing ankle surgery, long-standing tibia issues to name just three.