Cody Gakpo’s Night of Steel
Cody Gakpo may not have ended his night with a goal or assist, but his understated performance on the left wing is worthy of attention. He started his third consecutive game for Liverpool at Leipzig, having been selected over Luis Diaz on the left wing, and his output was impressive.
According to FotMob, Gakpo was the Reds’ second-best player on the night with a rating of 8-out-of-10, behind only Caoimhin Kelleher’s 8.5. This outing did his chances of staying in the starting XI no harm.
Gakpo’s statistics are certainly eye-catching. He created four chances, had four shots, and was fouled four times, with five duels won, tied for the most on the team with Ryan Gravenberch. This performance made him the first Liverpool player to achieve these feats since Philippe Coutinho in 2017, according to Opta’s Michael Reid.
Gakpo’s other notable stats included having the second most touches inside the opposition box (six), three passes into the final third, and never being dispossessed. He was involved in big chances, created three successful tackles per 90, and registered an average of 0.9 expected assists per game in the European competition so far. He has played 245 of the last available 270 minutes, compared to Diaz’s 69.
The argument for fresh legs will undoubtedly be made for the Colombian, but Gakpo has earned the right to keep his place in the team. The FotMob app, a great source of Liverpool’s fixtures and stats, offers insights into the club’s performances, as well as the statistics of their loanees and leagues worldwide. It is available for download.
