Liverpool finally have the phenomenal star they signed over 3 years ago

Liverpool finally have the phenomenal star they signed over 3 years ago Liverpool are finally seeing the truly phenomenal star they signed over three years ago. And what a player he is. Liverpool endured a difficult season last term. Virtually nothing worked properly, from the defence to the midfield to the attack. Arne Slot just couldn't get a decent song out of this group and it led to a series of incredibly inconsistent displays that relied heavily on individual quality. Then a lot of that individual quality left as Mohamed Salah departed. Even in a down year, Salah picked up six goals and six assists in the Premier League and was the side's standout attacker. Liverpool moved to fix that problem with Bradley Barcola and we do believe the Frenchman i s about as close as you can expect to get to Salah . But he's not going to fill the void entirely on his own, especially as he's still an unknown quantity in English football. Thankfully, he won't have to do that and it's quite plain to see that Liverpool have another star forward right now: Cody Gakpo . The Dutchman has unequivocally been their best attacker this season so far. That's notable because Gakpo struggled badly last season. He rarely got into games and was mostly just someone who finished the odd chance. And if we're being truthful, that's largely what he's been since arriving at Liverpool. But that's not the player Liverpool signed. They bought Gakpo from PSV Eindhoven because he was, without hyperbole, one of the absolute best-performing forwards in the world. Only, we've never really seen it at Anfield, principally because of Salah. Liverpool were never going to run attacks through Gakpo because they could run attacks through Salah - and the latter was always the better choice. £30 FREE JOIN NOW 18+ New customers only. Please gamble responsibly. Terms apply.
Best Odds Guaranteed · Fast Withdrawals · 2-0 Early Payout No one should really need proof of why. Liverpool ran their attack through Salah for a near-decade and won absolutely everything. But with Salah gone, Gakpo has his turn to step up and be the focal point. No one likely saw that coming ahead of the season - now it's plain for all to see. Gakpo scored on the opening weekend against Newcastle United. He then assisted Alexander Isak with a sensational ball across against Nottingham Forest, and that was despite playing on the right. Then against Ipswich Town, Gakpo was incredible. He assisted both of Isak's goals and both were brilliant assists that demonstrated world-class creativity. Which feels like a shock but it really shouldn't. Gakpo, after all, is a playmaker that you run games through. That's who he is and that's the player Liverpool bought. They just haven't actually done it up to now. 34 goals and 32 assists. Those are the numbers Gakpo put up in the 18 months prior to joining Liverpool. He finished second in Eredivisie assists for both 2021/22 and 2022/23 - and that's despite leaving the second season halfway through to move to Anfield. He is at his best when receiving the ball with a licence to come off the flank as much as he wants. To drive between the lines with his head up and expect plenty of the ball. That's what Iraola has him doing and it's why Gakpo has had a direct hand in four of Liverpool's six goals so far. This, then, is the player Liverpool signed three and a half years ago. A playmaker you can run your attack through to great effect. But now comes the problem: Barcola. Liverpool didn't intend to have both of them and attempted to sell Gakpo to Manchester City. There isn't actually room for both to play on the left and so someone will have to move. That's an incredibly difficult decision after Gakpo's start to the season.