Wataru Endo put in a superb performance for Liverpool against Man City – underling his influence in Jurgen Klopp’s midfield.
In a thrilling game of numerous highlights and sub-plots, it was right up there.
The clip went viral of Liverpool midfielder Wataru Endo chasing down Kevin De Bruyne, winning the ball near the halfway line and then turning away to head towards the City goal while his opponent was left flailing his arms wide in frustration.
That De Bruyne, the architect of City’s opener for John Stones, departed soon afterwards underlined the shift in momentum in the game to which the relentless Endo was pivotal as the Reds fought back to earn a 1-1 draw at Anfield on Sunday.
And it was further evidence of the huge influence the 31-year-old, operating as the number six, has had on both Liverpool’s overall team performance and increasing the level of those around him. Not least Alexis Mac Allister, pushed into a more attacking role and, with his successful penalty equaliser against City, subsequently contributing three goals and three assists in his last seven games.
If there were any lingering doubts over Endo’s suitability at Liverpool following his £16.25million arrival from Stuttgart last summer, they were surely banished by his performance against the European champions.
In a microcosm of his debut Anfield season, he had to overcome a difficult opening before flourishing in the second half. If De Bruyne was left in open space too often during the opening quarter, that the Belgian was gone long before the final whistle was in no small part due to Endo’s display.
Up against Rodri, the accepted best defensive midfielder in the world at present, the 31-year-old’s non-stop engine and strong mentality saw him outshine the Spaniard. Endo won six of seven duels, no player on either side made more than his four tackles, his pass accuracy of 95% was second only to Virgil van Dijk while he also managed six recoveries and two interceptions.
Indeed, Endo’s constant willingness to make progressive passes was noted by Pep Guardiola, who later claimed the midfield partnership between the Japan international and Mac Allister contributed to a subtle change in Liverpool’s approach that City struggled to cope with.
“After the first half it was difficult because with Endo and Mac Allister they have extra passes and the quality to play – before, they were more direct – without losing how direct they can be in transitions,” said the City boss.
Endo himself has acknowledged his growing understanding with Mac Allister. “He played incredible and we always like to look for each other especially when we have the ball,” he said. “I have a very good feeling with him.”
The Japanese has yet to lose a Premier League game in which he has started, winning nine and drawing three of 12 such fixtures. In retrospect, his absence during the 3-1 defeat at title rivals Arsenal in February while on Asia Cup duty was pivotal. He has become a player Liverpool cannot do without.
“The atmosphere was amazing,” said Endo of Sunday’s game, speaking to LFC TV. “I wanted to win for our fans but this result was I think not too bad. We only scored once but the way we played and how we created the chances was amazing. We have to keep playing like we did and the results will come.
“The younger players had an amazing performance. Injured players are coming back little by little, so we are in a good way right now. We need to show this one point is important come the end of the season. We need to play like we did and win every game.”
The nip and tuck of an increasingly tense battle means there’s every chance Liverpool can remain in the Premier League title conversation with City and Arsenal until the very last kick of the season. And if so, expect the tenacious Endo to be running as hard as he was at the start of the campaign.
