Having been integral to Liverpool’s spirited resurgence at the back end of last season, Cody Gakpo’s impact on this one has been more limited.
The dynamic has shifted in Jurgen Klopp’s forward line, with Darwin Nunez increasingly earning the manager’s trust.
Where Klopp had favoured playing Gakpo as a false nine, when the big games come along he is now more inclined to go with the pace and power of the Uruguay striker, whose work off the ball has improved immeasurably in his second season at Anfield. Last weekend’s 1-1 draw with Manchester City at the Etihad was the fifth time in the Premier League this season that Gakpo has had a cameo off the bench.
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Half of his six top-flight starts in 2023-24 have come in an accustomed midfield position when Klopp’s options in that department have been limited. The Netherlands international, whose rhythm was dented by the month he spent on the sidelines after a knee injury against Tottenham Hotspur in September, has been utilised wide on the left too. Such versatility can be a blessing and a curse as you get shifted around to fill the gaps rather than carving out a niche for yourself.
Gakpo has taken things in his stride. He is a manager’s dream in terms of attitude and work ethic. He credits his Christian faith for helping him deal with the pressure and expectation of Premier League stardom. He reads his Bible each day and spent some time off in the summer doing charity work with his father Johnny in Togo, west Africa. He is a selfless team man but driven, and aspires to be more than simply a high calibre backup.
And the least eye-catching of Klopp’s attacking quintet this term set about putting that right against Austrian outfit LASK in the Europa League on Thursday after being restored to the central striking role he had made his own following his arrival from PSV Eindhoven for an initial fee of £37 million ($46.7m) in January.
His two-goal haul in a 4-0 victory at Anfield, which wrapped up top spot in Group E and a place in the round of 16, was the first time he has scored more than once in a game for Liverpool since the 7-0 mauling of Manchester United in March.
On a night packed full of positives for Klopp, the sight of Gakpo flourishing was arguably the most significant given Diogo Jota’s hamstring injury and the need for others to step up in his absence as Liverpool begin a busy December.
The 24-year-old had not scored at Anfield since the Carabao Cup triumph over Leicester City in September but ended that wait when he converted Mohamed Salah’s cross from close range after Luis Diaz had nodded home the opener.
Gakpo’s perseverance was showcased by the manner in which he won the penalty early in the second half that enabled Salah to score his 199th goal for the club. After misplacing a pass, he decided to race after it and got there first before being sent sprawling in the box by goalkeeper Tobias Lawal.
He then struck the post after another surging run forward before finally bagging his second in stoppage time after latching onto Trent Alexander-Arnold’s pass. The arrowed finish after cutting inside onto his right foot was emphatic.
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“I could have scored more, but it’s a good win,” Gakpo said. “We should be top of the group with the quality that we have. We have to keep going because we have big goals for this season.”
As well as having six shots (three on target), Gakpo completed 29 of his 33 passes (88 per cent) and won six of his nine duels (67 per cent).
Remarkably, Salah (13), Jota (eight), Nunez (seven), Gakpo (six) and Diaz (five) have scored 39 of Liverpool’s 49 goals in all competitions this season. It is the first time Liverpool have had five players on five goals or more at the start of December since 1992-93, when Ian Rush, Don Hutchison, Steve McManaman, Ronny Rosenthal and Mark Walters had done the damage.
Klopp’s side have now won all 10 home games this season by a combined score of 31-4.
The manager’s only frustration last night was that Liverpool were not more ruthless. They eased off in the second half and would have been punished but for the defensive heroics of Jarell Quansah and Caoimhin Kelleher.
The commanding performance of Kelleher in goal was timely given he is going to retain his place for the upcoming Premier League matches with No 1 Alisson expected to be out for around a fortnight.
“I was happy to make some saves and help the team,” said Kelleher. “This is what I train for — to ensure I’m ready if something happens to Ali. I thought we were excellent going forward and could have had a lot more goals. We scored four and created a lot more chances. Thankfully, we have a lot of options in that forward line and they can all score goals.”
The feelgood factor was enhanced by Conor Bradley getting his first taste of senior action for Liverpool since January last year following his recovery from a stress fracture in his back.
With nothing riding on the final group game away to Union Saint-Gilloise in Belgium in a fortnight, Klopp will have the luxury of a dead rubber to rest his star names and experiment. And Liverpool’s safe passage to the last 16 means it will be March before they grace Europe again after that night in Brussels.
Between now and then, it is all about staying in the race for glory domestically.
Their chances of achieving that will be enhanced if Gakpo keeps stepping up and delivering like this.
(Top photo: Peter Byrne/PA Images via Getty Images)
