About Cody Gakpo and his best position for Liverpool

Slowly, Gakpo regained his confidence in appearing as a left winger. Liverpool will benefit in the remainder of the season.

AP/KIRSTY WIGGLESWORTH

Liverpool winger Cody Gakpo (left) competes for the ball with Fulham defender Tosin Adarabioyo in the English Premier League match at Craven Cottage Stadium, London, on Sunday (21/4/2024) or early Monday morning WIB. Liverpool triumphed over Fulham, 3-1.

Manager Liverpool Juergen Klopp has made the role of wing striker Cody Gakpo increasingly versatile (all-rounder) in the last two seasons. However, from the victory versus Fulham, it is clear that his best position is operating on the left wing. That reality will be useful for Liverpool for the rest of the season.

Liverpool finally breaks free from their bad performance trend in the past two weeks thanks to their 3-1 victory over Fulham at Craven Cottage Stadium on Monday (22/04/2024) early morning WIB. Behind that result, there was a unique decision by Klopp who made significant squad changes.

"I am very happy today. We made a lot of changes out of necessity. It was not a gamble or anything. We will play again next Wednesday and Saturday. It's quite crazy, but we still have to face it. Earlier, we managed to do it with positive results," said Klopp.

Also read:Wasted opportunities, Liverpool's chance of winning is wasted

AP/KIRSTY WIGGLESWORTH

Liverpool striker Diogo Jota (right) and Liverpool winger Cody Gakpo celebrate a goal scored by Jota in the English Premier League match between Fulham and Liverpool at Craven Cottage Stadium, London, early Monday morning on April 22, 2024.

At least four main players are not on the bench, including wing striker Mohamed Salah. The attacking trident is filled with Diogo Jota, Gakpo and Luis Diaz. Interestingly, Diaz did not play as usual, on the left side. He moved to the right. Gakpo, who is more often the center forward, was shifted to the left.

Klopp's plan was a success. The left side filled with Gakpo, midfielder Ryan Gravenberch and wing back Andy Robertson inspired the team's victory. All the goals came from that side. Including Trent Alexander-Arnold's free kick goal which started from opposing midfielder Joao Palhinha's panic regarding left side movement.

Gakpo is the most outstanding player at Craven Cottage. He leads various statistical records, from winning duels (7), creating opportunities (3), to successful dribbling (3). He also contributed one assist for Jota's closing goal in the second half. The goal ended Fulham's resistance.

I am very happy today. We made a lot of changes out of necessity.

Also read: Liverpool's Crossroads

According to Klopp, Gakpo is very important for Liverpool. He is always able to contribute when fit. "It's very important that he's back today. He's not injured, but he's having difficulty getting back to his best physical condition. Physically, he's ready now. He was very strong out there, able to hold onto the ball, which was a great help to us," he said.

AP/KIRSTY WIGGLESWORTH

Fulham attacker Rodrigo Muniz kicks the ball during a Premier League match between Fulham and Liverpool at Craven Cottage Stadium, London, on Sunday (21/4/2024) local time or early Monday morning WIB.

The unseen influence of Gakpo is even greater. With his ability to play in various positions, he often switches from playing on the wings to moving into an attacking midfielder position. Gakpo's constant movement, physical presence, and technical skills greatly help Robertson and Gravenberch.

Robertson often roamed the left side, while Gravenberch moved into the penalty box several times. The two players who were trapped by inconsistent performance were able to perform optimally. Gakpo attacks the halfspace area more. These three players managed to contribute 5 of Liverpool's total of 9 key passes throughout the match.

The left wing was Gakpo's best position in PSV Eindhoven before moving to Liverpool in January 2023. He shone with 21 goals and 25 assists in 35 league matches during one and a half seasons at PSV. However, since being coached by Klopp, the Dutch player has been placed more in a central position.

Also read: Liverpool Slips, Competition for Champions Gets Tighter

The Athletic even categorized Gakpo in the new “number 8.5” role, along with Kai Havertz (Arsenal) and Julian Alvarez (Manchester City). This role combines the duties of a "number 9" center forward and a "number 8" box to box midfielder at the same time. His movement is very dynamic in the middle area.

AFP/BENJAMIN CREMEL

Fulham defender Timothy Castagne (right) and Liverpool winger Cody Gakpo compete for the ball during the English Premier League match between Fulham and Liverpool at Craven Cottage Stadium in London, early morning of Monday (22/4/2024) WIB.

However, Gakpo's performance has been less than brilliant since the beginning of the season with his new role. Klopp started moving him back to the wing position, but he mostly came off the bench. This is the first time he has been given a direct opportunity as a starter on the left wing position.

Gakpo is not as fast as Diaz. However, he can hold the ball longer and wait for his teammates' movements. He also has the ability to send penetrating passes. As a right-footed player in the left position, his movements are always sharper compared to when he is in the central area.

The key to Gakpo's contribution lies in being among the right players. He cannot shine alone, but makes all the players around him better. With Robertson and Jota recovered from injury, the 24-year-old forward could be greatly assisted in playing on the wing.

See also: Conquering Fulham, Liverpool sticks to Arsenal who sit at the top of the standings

When Robertson was injured, Liverpool's wing back was filled with Joe Gomez, who did not have the capability to help attack. Robertson will allow Gakpo to focus on the halfspace area. Meanwhile, Jota, who is also known as versatile, often combines and exchanges positions with Gakpo. Their combination confuses opponents.

AP/KIRSTY WIGGLESWORTH

Fulham goalkeeper Bernd Leno faced off against Liverpool striker Mohamed Salah in a Premier League match between Fulham and Liverpool at Craven Cottage Stadium in London, early morning on Monday (22/4/2024) WIB.

Klopp also has many options to face the remaining five matches in the league. The formation that can be tried in the following matches is the trio of Gakpo, Jota, and Salah. Jota can provide efficiency in front of the goal that Darwin Nunez does not have, while Gakpo will facilitate Jota better than Diaz.

The most important thing for Klopp is that he can utilize all of the players in the attacking line again. They did not have that advantage in the middle of the season due to injury storms. "I like the current options. The squad situation is good. We need all of them to fight for the rest of this season," he said. (AP/REUTERS)