Liverpool's £18m star shocks all with RB Leipzig display - here's how he has improved under Arne Slot

Liverpool fans were surprised to see Kostas Tsimikas pick up the official UEFA Champions League man of the match award in the win over RB Leipzig.

While it was really a collective performance that helped them overcome their German opponents, most of the team maintained a consistent level from the win over Chelsea with the defence shining once again. It means they have now kept seven clean sheets in 12 games in all competitions.

Leipzig had two goals ruled out for offside and a few other chances of note but Arne Slot’s side held firm, with Tsimikas the only change to their backline. Starting his fourth game of the season and his second in the Champions League, he has been afforded slightly more opportunities under Slot than he was under the previous regime and there are two reasons for this.

One, it is, perhaps, the easiest like-for-like swap that Slot can make as Tsimikas offers a similar threat to Robertson and is similar in his profile. He doesn’t often make changes to his starting XI’s unless there is a reason to and this is an easy way to ensure there is some rotation across a hectic schedule. The second reason is that Robertson, now 30, has seen better days and it is clear that he isn’t the player he once was even if he is still a regular starter and someone who brings experience, desire and familiarity to the side. Tsimikas, 28, has had to bide his time over his Liverpool career, averaging 24 appearances a season across the four full campaigns he’s been a part of.

Looking at his figures from the Champions League - the competition he has the most starts in - he is averaging 1.7 key passes, 1.7 shots, a 94% pass accuracy, more possession won, less times dribbled past, more interceptions and less possession lost per game in relation to his 13 league appearances last season.

It is no wonder that Slot has placed his trust in him at a far greater interval: he has already played 33% of his total games this season compared to last year. Rotation will be key to success for Slot and there’s also Joe Gomez who can play there if any injuries occur, but it is clear that the manager trusts him and those performances are being rewarded - perhaps more so than ever before.