Liverpool suffered a 4-3 loss recently in a thrilling quarter-final match that went into extra time. Jurgen Klopp’s squad will rue their missed opportunities to secure the win in the second half.
Klopp, in particular, might be dissatisfied with certain performances, especially that of his late substitution, Cody Gakpo.
The Dutchman came on for Mohamed Salah in the 77th minute but struggled to influence the match, leading Jamie Carragher to comment that he seemed to be playing as if the game was in ‘slow motion’.
Sutton and Carragher Disappointed with Gakpo’s Form
Chris Sutton has now joined the chorus of critics regarding Gakpo’s recent performance for Liverpool.
On the show “It’s All Kicking Off!”, Sutton remarked that neither Salah nor Gakpo were at their peak during Sunday’s game.
“Salah looked off it,” he said. “And of course, there are reasons for that. I thought some of the substitutions, Gakpo came on and looked like he didn’t have his boots on the right feet.
“Darwin, we love him, but was he… the pass he was making for Rashford for when he eventually scored. I kept looking thinking, what did he see there? Who has he trying to pass that to? I still don’t know, I don’t think he does.”
Gakpo’s Performance: A Season-Long Concern
It’s clear that Gakpo was not up to par in last Sunday’s match, continuing a trend for the £35 million striker this season.
Stephen Warnock criticized his FA Cup performance as ‘really, really poor,’ a sentiment supported by the data.
Gakpo’s Struggle to Make an Impact
In his 43 minutes on the field, the 24-year-old managed only one dribble and a single shot on goal, according to WhoScored.
After a promising beginning at Anfield, Gakpo has found it challenging to leave a significant mark for Liverpool this season. While the talent within him is evident, his recent contributions have left much to be desired.