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Liverpool had to survive a late scare to overcome Wolves in a 2-1 victory last Sunday.
Having cruised into a 2-0 lead before half-time, the Reds were pegged back by Wolves ‘danger man’ Matheus Cunha in the second half.
Arne Slot had to call on a number of substitutes to help get the job done, with Jarell Quansah making a ‘vital’ block late on to keep the Reds in front.
Another Liverpool sub who made an impact at Anfield was midfielder Wataru Endo, with Slot singing the praises of the Japanese international following his substitute cameo.
Photo by Jack Thomas – WWFC/Wolves via Getty Images
Having only managed limited minutes so far this campaign, it seemed like the 32-year-old’s impact was slowly diminishing on Merseyside, his recent display against Wolves however suggests otherwise.
Jamie Carragher claimed Endo was ‘vital’ in the win and it seems like Slot is in full agreement with the ex-Reds defender.
Not always about amount of minutes you play, you can be important for two minutes and less important for 90 minutes.
“What makes Wata special is that every time we have to rely on him he shows up.
If a player hasn’t had a lot of playing time and you can be mentally strong to bring you best performance, that’s not easy,” Slot said in his press conference.
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The Reds were nowhere near their best against Vitor Pereira’s side, with Liverpool failing to register a shot against Wolves in the second half.
The three points were all that mattered though and Slot’s side will have to get used to grinding games out as the trophy hunt heats up.
Endo’s performance against Wolves suggests he could play a key role in getting Liverpool over the line in matches, with his tenacious tackling and smart defensive play making a big impact off the bench.
Wataru Endo stats vs WolvesMinutes played19Pass accuracy 100%Defesive actions3Duels won 3Was fouled 2Stats from FotMob
Endo’s Liverpool future seemed uncertain up until recent weeks, but that won’t longer be the case if he keeps providing impressive cameos off the subs bench.