Sky Sports pundit Robert Earnshaw was quite impressed by one Liverpool player who looked ‘very sharp’ in tonight’s Carabao Cup clash against Leicester.
The recipient of that praise was Cody Gakpo, who scored the Reds’ equaliser early in the second half and was unlucky to see a header bounce off the crossbar and onto rather than over the goalline a few minutes later.
The Welshman was one of the guest panelists on Sky Sports News tonight and he said of the 24-year-old (via the broadcaster’s live web commentary, 21:04): “Cody Gakpo has been very good today. Very sharp, very clean in his touches. You’d fancy him to get another goal. He’s already got one.”
After a frustrating first half which saw Liverpool go in 1-0 down at the interval, the Dutchman’s goal to draw us level proved the turning point of the game, with a Dominik Szoboszlai rocket later firing us into the lead and Diogo Jota capping the victory with a sumptuous backheeled goal.
It was indeed a very tidy finish from Gakpo after some brilliant combination play with compatriot Ryan Gravenberch, and the 24-year-old’s overall performance on the night was deserving of all the praise he gets.
As per Sofascore, the ex-PSV Eindhoven attacker won nine duels and four tackles, the most of any Reds player for both metrics, while he took no fewer than seven shots (three on target) and drew four fouls from the opposition.
It was a performance in which he certainly put his hand up for another start against Tottenham on Saturday, although Darwin Nunez might have something to say about that!