Cody Gakpo celebrated his birthday in style.
It was on Boxing Day 2022 when PSV announced that they had reached an agreement to sell the Dutch striker to Liverpool.
Outgoing Anfield sporting director Julian Ward had worked through Christmas Day to get the framework of a £44million ($55m at today’s rates) deal agreed.
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Gakpo was on the club’s target list for the following summer, but PSV’s willingness to sell this winter – along with injuries to Luis Díaz and Diogo Jota – led Liverpool to accelerate the arrival of a player who had sparked interest. of Manchester United. and Chelsea.
The Netherlands international proved to be a slow burner. He scored seven goals in 26 appearances while he adjusted to his new surroundings in the second half of 2022-23 and then netted 16 goals in 53 matches in 2023-24.
With Jurgen Klopp he is a jack of all trades. He didn’t have a position explained when he moved from wing to centre-forward role or deployed deeper as a number 10 or even in a midfield role. He never complained, but that hardly contributed to a consistent performance.
Yet since Arne Slot arrived at Anfield last summer, things have changed. Gakpo’s been deployed solely on the left flank — where he made his name for PSV — and Liverpool have reaped the rewards. He looks more confident and effective — some rough edges have been ironed out.
After scoring a goal in each of the 137 minutes he played in all competitions last season (16 goals, six assists), this time this figure rises to 98 minutes (10 goals, four assists). achieve double the objectives in 2023-24.
The importance of Gakpo’s goals makes it even more valuable. Step forward and deliver in the big moments. After scoring the opening goal in the win over Manchester City and draws against Brighton & Hove Albion and Fulham, he was the inspiration Liverpool craved against Leicester City on Thursday.
Slot’s team was about to go into half-time after Jordan Ayew’s first goal. Anfield was very hectic, with a succession of aimless crosses launched into the penalty area. Decision making has continually let the home team down. Despite all their possession, Liverpool had only forced one save from Jakub Stolarczyk.
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Then in first-half stoppage time, Gakpo transformed the mood. Leicester manager Ruud van Nistelrooy must have feared what was coming when the 25-year-old cut in off the left and darted past full-back James Justin.
Van Nistelrooy, who coached Gakpo in the academy at PSV and managed him at first-team level, had seen this finish many times. There was Gakpo curling an unstoppable right-footer beyond the goalkeeper and into the far corner.
“It was to score the 1-1 just before halftime because that encouraged us,” Slot said.
“You’ll be able to see it directly in the second half as we continue with what we were doing. Not only was it helpful for us, but it also worked the other way around for Leicester, because they said, “Okay, now it’s going to be difficult. ” »
There is a certain inevitability to what happened after the break. Gakpo, who finished 22 of his 24 passes (92%), continued to lead the scoring after a close-range goal from Curtis Jones in his 100th Premier League appearance gave Liverpool the lead.
Gakpo thought he had added a third with an emphatic finish but his celebrations were curtailed by Darwin Nunez straying offside in the build-up.
Instead, Gakpo had to settle for an assist with the lofted pass that sent Mohamed Salah scampering away to wrap up a victory that sent Liverpool seven points clear with a game in hand following Chelsea’s surprise defeat to Fulham.
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What an embarrassment of riches Slot has on offense. Díaz had free time, Jota only called up after the deadline and Federico Chiesa remained on the bench.
Liverpool may be another disappointing performance from the spendthrift Nunez, who finished just 10 of his 19 passes (53%), won just one duel out of 4 (25%) and forced a save with just one of his 4 attempts. to the goal.
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Although Diaz has showcased the ability to play centrally, Gakpo is effectively vying with the Colombia international for that left-sided spot. It is hard to think of another elite head coach anywhere who has two players of such calibre competing for the same position. Slot will keep on rotating.
Asked about the resolve to keep Gakpo basically on the left this season, Slot said: “Perhaps the main difference is that the three strikers were a bit different before than they are now.
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“We hope that our wingers keep the game open, to try to put them in one-on-one situations. Cody did this very well.
“Lucho (Diaz) did very well when he played from the left, but Lucho is also capable of playing as a nine. Against Spurs, maybe it was basically Lucho and Mo (Salah) who dominated. Now it’s Cody again, with Mo. Es’s just smart to have so many options, actually in all positions, but also in the three most sensible ones.
Gakpo has featured in nine of Liverpool’s 17 Premier League games this season and has come off the bench in the other eight.
He has grown in stature over his two years at Anfield. He’s not their most potent attacking weapon but he is arguably their most underrated as Liverpool’s grip on this title race strengthens.
(Top photo: Copa/Getty Images)