On Thursday, Liverpool stormed into the Carabao Cup semi-finals with a decisive victory over Southampton at St. Mary’s Stadium. The Reds showcased their dominance from the get-go, with Darwin Nunez and Harvey Elliott striking twice in the first half and setting the tone for a comfortable win away from home.
Arne Slot used this fixture as an opportunity to rotate his squad, ensuring players remain fresh and fit for the upcoming weeks where teams end up playing 3 or more games in just 2 weeks. This new lineup saw Wataru Endo get a start, whose standout performance left fans in awe.
This was Endo’s third start in the Carabao Cup, a competition that has provided him with rare opportunities this season. The Japanese is yet to make a start in a Premier League game this season and has gotten minutes only coming off the bench.
Endo started the game against Southampton in a hybrid center-back and deep defensive midfielder role, a bit unconventional for him as at 5’10” Endo isn’t the go-to choice as a center back. When his height is compared with the rest of the defenders in the Premier League, he doesn’t fit the mould. With the average Premier League defender standing over 6 feet tall. However, through the course of the game, he showed that what he might lack in height could be easily made up for with heart and impeccable game sense.
Against Southampton, Endo faced a monumental challenge in Ebere Paul Onuachu, the Saints’ towering 6’7” striker. Conventional wisdom might suggest that aerial duels would be a mismatch, but Endo defied expectations, not once but three times, outjumping Onuachu and winning the ball for his side. A particular highlight making the rounds on Twitter shows Endo timing his leap perfectly to win a header against the much taller Nigerian forward, leaving Onuachu visibly stunned.
The Japanese international’s performance extended beyond this duel. With a 100% tackle success rate and three out of five aerial duels won, Endo delivered a comprehensive defensive display that earned him the Player of the Match award. His passing accuracy of 93% and ability to remain composed under pressure underscored his value in a rotated Liverpool side.
Coming back to Endo’s dominant performance when it comes to aerial duels, there’s always a hesitation when it comes to shorter center backs, as physicality and stature often dominate narratives. Lisandro Martinez was questioned as a signing when he was brought to Manchester United purely because of his height, but since then he’s been solid as part of United’s backline. Endo, with his performance, showed that it’s not always about height when it comes to winning aerial battles; there’s much more to it.
Fans were well impressed with the Japanese’s performance, labelling him ‘the ultimate professional,’ and it’s hard to argue against these claims. He’s also being given the name “samurai” for his fearless nature to contest aerially against Onuachu.
As Liverpool eye further progress in cup competitions, Endo’s performance at St. Mary’s could well be the springboard for a more prominent role.
