Ian Doyle with the talking points from Liverpool's Champions League clash against Villarreal at Anfield on Tuesday evening

There has surely never been a more expensive bench in Liverpool’s history. With Andoni Iraola acutely aware of this being a fourth game in 10 days on the back of a bruising encounter at Brentford, the £100m trio of Florian Wirtz, Alexander Isak and Bradley Barcola were all rotated out of the XI.

The onus was instead placed on some of the Reds’ younger players. And while Rio Ngumoha commanded the headlines, there was further reason for encouragement from both Trey Nyoni and Lewis Koumas.

Neither had it easy in the opening exchanges as Liverpool floundered, Nyoni outnumbered in midfield while Koumas was given precious little service up front.

Soon, though, the ball began to stick with Koumas, whose energetic presence is such a boon for Iraola. Better, however, was Nyoni, with nobody close to the same number of touches and passes as the 19-year-old, despite the midfielder being replaced with 10 minutes remaining.

There was real economy of possession too, with no starting Liverpool player having a better percentage - 94.3% - of completed passes.

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Both Isak and Barcola had second-half cameos, but Wirtz was the standout among the substitutes when introduced at the interval, culminating with a well-taken first goal of the season.

That’s three good performances in succession for the Germany international. Is a corner being turned?

Gravenberch gives Iraola poser

Another game, another right-back. The problem position that drove Arne Slot to distraction last season is showing no signs of abating under successor Iraola.

With Dominik Szoboszlai and Jeremie Frimpong having joined Conor Bradley on the sidelines at the weekend, Ryan Gravenberch became the sixth player to step into the role after starter Ronald Araujo was hooked at half-time.

While Araujo had been less than convincing during a fitful first-half showing, he nevertheless continued to prove Liverpool’s lucky charm in the Champions League by ghosting in to head the Reds level on the stroke of half-time.

The Uruguay international now has two goals and an assist in his three appearances in the competition for the Reds, far outstripping his output over eight years at Barcelona.

Gravenberch had started the game as number 10, but made negligible impact before being much improved and more effective having shifting into the defence, comfortable in possession and defensively aware for the most part.

Given Iraola’s lack of options in the position at present and the heavy schedule that continues at home to Brighton on Sunday, the Dutchman could offer an intriguing alternative for an ongoing issue.

Anfield power is felt

There was a moment midway through the first half that summed up how everything was going wrong for Liverpool.

Georges Mikautadze, who had scored the first of the two goals that had Villarreal in total control before the half-hour mark, received a pass on the left wing and had enough time to have a brief game of keepie-uppie before laying the ball off to a team-mate.

That no Liverpool player was close to even challenge the striker highlighted how out of sorts the Reds were for much of the opening period.

Virgil van Dijk had set the tone by gifting Mikautadze the opener with a wayward backheader in the fourth minute. But even before then, the Dutchman had made uncharacteristic mistakes and, in truth, struggled to recover on what was a rare off-night.

But if Iraola had been outsmarted by his close friend Inigo Perez, his tactical changes at half-time ultimately helped the Reds take the game away from the Villarreal boss.

And while Liverpool continue to toil at home in the Premier League, here the home crowd helped rouse the team from their early slumbers and shock the visitors sufficiently into submission.

As Perez noted afterwards, there was nothing his side could do about it. Anfield needs more of this.