Leo Lin was confident—and for good reason. The next three matches included one EFL Cup knockout tie and two league fixtures, all against relatively weak opponents.
The EFL Cup opponent was Derby County from the Championship, with a clear gulf in quality between the two sides.
The two league matches were against relegation candidates West Brom and Stoke City.
West Brom had been the worst team in the league so far, winless in their first 11 matches. They had managed just two draws and nine losses, sitting bottom of the table with only two points.
Stoke City had fared only slightly better, with one win more than West Brom, placing them second from bottom on five points.
On November 16, Liverpool's Premier League clash against West Brom kicked off.
Klopp named a partially rotated starting XI, with Leo Lin anchoring the midfield.
From the opening whistle, West Brom looked completely outmatched even against Liverpool's rotated side, retreating deeper and deeper under sustained pressure.
Fans had already predicted a rout.
"Liverpool will score at least three—maybe four or five if they're sharp. West Brom's defense has been awful lately."
"This is the perfect chance to pad the goal difference. Liverpool can't afford to waste it."
"Look at this—half a rotated lineup and they're still pinning West Brom back. Goals are only a matter of time."
The crowd was already dreaming of a landslide, but the young starter Ibe—Liverpool's most talked-about prospect at the moment—looked completely lost.
Whether it was nerves from his Premier League debut or simply forgetting his shooting boots, he was badly out of sync.
19th minute!
"Liverpool circulating the ball through the middle, pushing forward."
"Leo Lin accelerates—he shakes off Salomón Rondón!"
After completing his first dribble, Leo Lin lifted his head and immediately spotted Ibe making a run to beat the offside trap.
Small, quick, and explosive, Ibe surged forward as the Laudrup skill shimmered into life.
Combined with Leo Lin's Pirlo-like vision, the moment was perfect.
Leo Lin planted his right foot, whipped his left instep through the ball, and sent a skidding pass along the turf!
The ball curved around Evans and rolled perfectly into the path of the onrushing Ibe!
The entire Anfield crowd leapt to their feet. Ibe took one touch into the box and struck it first time!
A low shot toward the bottom-right corner!
The goalkeeper froze—there was no time to react!
And yet… the ball brushed the post and slid wide!
It missed?!
Anfield erupted in disbelief, the collective gasp echoing straight into the broadcast booth.
"Missing that is harder than scoring it!" Jon Champion exclaimed, stunned.
"He went for too much placement. This was a one-on-one—no need for something that difficult."
"If he'd just rolled it into the near corner along the ground, that was a guaranteed goal!"
Jim Beglin added calmly,
"He's still very young. Once he came on, he started overthinking everything, always trying to produce something spectacular. That mindset often costs you big chances."
Play resumed. Ibe's movement was genuinely excellent—constant runs behind the defense, always threatening the offside line. But when it came to the final touch, something was always missing.
Leo Lin gradually realized that relying on Ibe for goals wasn't realistic.
In the stands, Barnett looked like he wanted to pull out a Barrett rifle, take Ibe out with a clean headshot, and send Firmino on instead.
Ibe had already squandered at least two perfect assists from Leo Lin, indirectly dragging down Leo Lin's match rating.
Meanwhile, West Brom set up a full-on defensive shell. Their 4-6-0 formation left them virtually without a forward, with even Salomón Rondón frequently dropping deep into midfield to help defend.
Leo Lin's attacking momentum was stifled as he received star-level treatment in the center of the pitch.
Every time he touched the ball, at least three defenders swarmed him—often four. West Brom relied entirely on numbers, packing the midfield and defense, content with grinding out a draw.
"Their intentions couldn't be clearer," Jon Champion observed.
"They're not here to win—one point would be a victory for them."
"For a relegation side, taking a point from a team like Liverpool is huge."
Leo Lin began carrying the ball forward himself, increasing his physical challenges and dribble attempts. His powerful frame surged through midfield, and even with three men closing him down, stopping him was no easy task.
39th minute!
"Leo Lin drives forward again—three defenders form a wall."
Facing the triple team, Leo Lin dropped his shoulder and cut inside, then suddenly dragged the ball across his body, changing direction in one fluid motion and shaking off two defenders instantly!
Just as he was about to break through, Salomón Rondónl lunged from behind, throwing his entire body into the challenge purely to commit the foul.
Leo Lin was brought to a halt, and the referee immediately rushed over to brandish a yellow card.
"Leo Lin is still that terrifying bulldozer—his ball-carrying power remains exceptional."
"But Liverpool need goals. With a half-rotated lineup—and all three starting forwards rested—their attacking threat has dropped sharply.
Right now, it's Leo Lin alone carrying the creative burden in midfield."
The first half ended soon after.
Klopp made a decisive call, sending on the full attacking trident at the break.
He was clearly disappointed with Ibe. The more he watched, the more he realized that this so-called fan-favorite prospect lacked footballing intelligence. He had talent, yes—but not much beyond that.
After reviewing Ibe's first-half display, Krawietz reached the same conclusion: the club should move him on quickly, while he still had some name value and could fetch a decent fee.
With all three first-choice forwards coming off the bench, hope flickered back to life among the Liverpool supporters.
The second half got underway quickly.
Leo Lin covered ground relentlessly in midfield, constantly twisting his head to scan behind him. Every step forward came with another glance over his shoulder.
Move by move, he read his teammates' runs, strengthening the connections between them, inching closer into sync.
A subtle yet intricate sense of linkage radiated from Leo Lin, quietly extending toward everyone around him.
62nd minute!
Leo Lin dropped deep again, checking over his shoulder as he moved.
Emre Can slipped him a short pass. At that moment, West Brom's midfield and defense were relatively relaxed—Leo Lin had his back to goal, seemingly unaware of what lay behind him.
But Firmino sensed it.
Just as Leo Lin was about to receive the ball, Firmino suddenly exploded forward, perfectly timing his run to beat the offside line!
With his body angled sideways toward Firmino, Leo Lin didn't take a touch. Instead, he used the outside of his ankle to gently flick Emre Can's pass onward.
That delicate knock instantly changed the ball's path.
The pass slid past Evans and rolled toward Mané behind Firmino!
Mané was off!
The entire stadium erupted, fans clutching their heads as Jon Champion cried out in disbelief:
"What a pass!"
"He saw Mané behind Firmino!"
"A brilliant little flick!"
"Mané's through—one-on-one!!!"