It's hard to imagine now, but at the start of the season, the arrival of Victor Moses presented something of an upgrade on Raheem Sterling. Slightly older with a bit more Premier League experience, the pacy winger looked as though he would provide time for Sterling to develop while giving Liverpool a threat from the wide areas. Consistent playing time at Chelsea had proven hard to come by, and the move seemed to be one that could accommodate all involved.
Fast forward to late January and it's Sterling keeping Moses out of the lineup, with minutes yet again proving hard to come by for the Nigerian. Late substitute appearances in league and starts in domestic cup competition have been his only proving ground, and on the evidence prior to yesterday, there was little to suggest that his status at the club would change much prior to the end of his time on Merseyside.
And while yesterday wasn't some sort of king-making performance, it was improved, with Moses showing signs of life and proving effective in attack. It represented something positive for a player who's had little to feel good about of late, something he highlighted in the post-match:
"It was really important; I know I haven't been myself for the past few weeks. But I started and got a goal today. I just want to kick on from here and try to get a few more goals in the second half of the season. It's crucial for me and the club as well. It's up to the manager to pick his own players. I just want to keep on working hard in training and hopefully play as many games as I can."
It's become far too easy to point out what Victor Moses has done wrong, even with the caveat that he's often doing it without getting a regular run in the side and that his earlier poor form was more down to his positioning--something out of his control--than his effort. But there's a chance for him to get solid minutes down the stretch if his form recovers in time, and with little certainty that the squad's going to get any bigger over the next week, that's something Liverpool need.