Klopp must now bench Liverpool star who dropped a 4/10 vs Man City

Klopp must now bench Liverpool star who dropped a 4/10 vs Man City

Candidly, Liverpool didn’t play that well against Manchester City on Saturday afternoon, and while it was galvanising to emerge from the lion’s den with little more than a few nicks, there will be an internal acceptance that further work is needed.

This sounds pessimistic, and Liverpool fans can take great pride and confidence in the Etihad Stadium failing to secure an English-record 24th consecutive home victory, keeping the Reds just one point behind the second-placed Premier League champions.

But the visitors made several mistakes and fell behind once again in the first half, and this erroneous streak is a perpetual risk of demise – though the resilience and spirit to climb back on so many occasions is a testament to the Anfield side’s character and quality.

Jurgen Klopp called it “a good point”, and it really was, especially given that Liverpool were trounced 4-1 at the Etihad back in April, but with title ambitions in every Redman’s mind, more snap and swagger in the final third is necessary to prevail in a tantalising race for supremacy.

Darwin Nunez’s performance vs Manchester City

Darwin Nunez epitomises all of the good and some of the bad on the red half of Merseyside. Penetrative in his surging runs; dynamic and menacing when shifting into position.

The Uruguayan talisman has undoubtedly built on last season’s indifference and has already clinched 12 direct goal contributions from 18 matches – that’s a goal or assist every 80 minutes.

Is it fair to say that he’s been out of sorts for a few matches, though? He certainly cost Liverpool dearly against Luton Town earlier in November, while the chasm of coolness between him and Erling Haaland on Saturday was evident – handed a dismal 4/10 match rating courtesy of GOAL – though it’s somewhat tricky to match the Norwegian machine punch for punch.

As per Sofascore, Nunez took four shots in Manchester and failed to capitalise on one glorious opportunity, also failing to win either of his ground duels, getting caught offside twice and taking just 25 touches – which was fewer than Alisson between the sticks.

The £85m club-record signing is fantastic; really. He’s the seat-raising, brazen type of centre-forward that will persist with incessant thorniness for the opposition, but he’s dipped a bit after a captivating spell, and Klopp would be wise to now unleash Cody Gakpo in his stead.

Cody Gakpo’s season in numbers

Perhaps pigeonholed into deep-lying roles than he might prefer, Gakpo is proving to be a jack-of-all-trades for Liverpool this season, and while his flexibility is valuable, he will want to cement a starring role in a singular position.

That would probably be as the focal frontman, given that his four goals and one assist this season have come across his nine appearances as the spearpoint.

Described as “something special” by Fabrizio Romano for his international escapades in Qatar, the Dutchman had fired himself into form before sustaining an injury against Tottenham Hotspur – just before equalising – at the end of September.

He’s started just once in the Premier League since, but with Anfield welcoming Austrian side LASK in the Europa League on Thursday night, Klopp will find the perfect chance to instigate rotation and provide the 24-year-old with a launchpad.

The winter period is relentless, and like a buffeting storm, it can render some immobile. Gakpo can rekindle his former goalscoring feats and prove his worth as Liverpool’s centre-forward for the forthcoming encounters.

Cody Gakpo: Key Strengths

Very Strong

Strong

Crossing

Finishing

Taking set-pieces

Key passes

Aerial duels

Passing

Defensive contribution

*Sourced via WhoScored

Ranking among the top 9% of forwards across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for progressive passes and the top 1% for tackles per 90, as per FBref, Gakpo is a creative force and can braid the frontline’s attack together, cutting patterns through the lines and enhancing his outfit’s chances of an emphatic victory.

While Nunez is a deadly weapon on his day, he has plateaued somewhat over recent matchweeks, and Gakpo must now be presented with the opportunity to impress.