Three Straight Wins with Clean Sheets! 21-Year-Old Jakai Earns First France Call-Up, Coach Praises His Fitness Leap

On Sunday, Liverpool visited the Vitality Stadium and secured a 1-0 victory over Bournemouth. After the match, the coach was full of praise for the performance of 21-year-old defender Jeremy Jacquet, who delivered an impressive display in this fixture.

This week, Jacquet received his first call-up to the French senior national team, making him one of the key figures in the match. His outstanding performance not only helped Liverpool climb to sixth place in the Premier League standings but also contributed to the team's first run of three consecutive league wins without conceding a goal since the start of the 2024-25 season.

"I'm happy for him, because this is also his first national team call-up," the coach revealed about Jacquet during the post-match press conference. "He will be going with France, a top-tier team, and I know he is extremely excited. He is young, but his adaptation to the Premier League has been remarkable."

"In the first few matches of the season, he clearly felt the difference in physical intensity, with cramping and extreme fatigue toward the end of games, and we had to substitute him. But today he took a significant step forward. He remained composed until the final whistle, and his fitness levels have reached a good standard. I look forward to him maintaining this upward trajectory."

Liverpool's overall performance was not flawless, but Alexander Isak's goal in the second half ensured all three points. This was the Swedish striker's fourth league goal of the season—a tally that already surpasses his total league goals from the entire previous season.

"A striker's job is to score goals," the coach commented. "He mishandled a few crosses and failed to control one ball, but he eventually got the goal. I think he needs to be closer to the box, be more active in the opponent's half, and command dangerous possession. If the team can launch attacks from there, he will naturally be rewarded."

Discussing Liverpool's unbeaten start to the season, the coach added: "Overall, we have improved, especially compared to the opening games. Of course, there are areas that still need refinement, and there is plenty of room for growth. I'm pleased that this is the third consecutive league clean sheet. Today's match was tough; I know you never have an easy game here. Bournemouth won't let you have comfortable possession; they put pressure on you, and you have to adapt and win these hard-fought battles."

"But we also need to be prepared, because the upcoming schedule is quite congested. We will face teams in the top four, with Champions League matches in between, followed by a League Cup tie against Chelsea—all these games are packed within two or three days."

"So we must be fully prepared, and after this international break, the demands on the team over the next month will be very high."