Liverpool should target ex-Premier League star vs AC Milan labelled 'worst player' by Italian media

Liverpool will likely face several familiar foes against AC Milan but one of them could be an area of weakness to exploit.

Having signed Emerson Royal from Tottenham during the summer, the right-back has begun the season in mixed form, to say the least. Having made his first start against Lazio - a game which they went on to draw 2-2 - he was heavily criticised by the Italian media for his showing.

MilanNews looked at Emerson’s performance at the weekend, referring to him as ‘one of the worst players on the pitch’. In their piece, they cite Gazzetta dello Sport rating him at 5, mentioning that the ex-Barcelona man ran out of gas in the second half. MilanNews themselves gave the 25-year-old a rating of 5, with Corriere dello Sport giving him a 5.5.

While his Milan career hasn’t got off to the best start, it is a deal that was always a risk. For example, during his early days at Spurs, he was mocked for his ‘no-look’ pass which sailed embarrassingly out of play that was branded as ridiculous by the TNT Sports commentary team. Plus, one fan account stated he was the ‘worst player in the league’ after Spurs lost 3-2 to Bournemouth in 2022.

Therefore, facing Luis Diaz or Cody Gakpo is unlikely to give him any real respite. The Colombian averaged 2.29 successful take-ons, over three shots per game and 7.50 touches in opposition box last season in the Premier League, while Gakpo managed 3.37 shots per game, 1.67 take-ons and 5.94 touches in the box. Emerson, however, ranked in just the 25th percentile for percentage of dribblers tackled and the 15th for being dispossessed.

The only saving grace for Milan is that Davide Calabria could return to action having missed out on the weekend win over Venezia with a knock. With a fully fit Liverpool attack to contend with, it remains to be seen if the Italian right-back will start but Diaz or Gakpo will certainly relish the opportunity to take on Emerson should the Brazilian be selected.