Liverpool’s Strategic Victory: Gakpo’s Stellar Performance Leads the WayÂ
Well that was exciting wasn’t it. You have to be happy when Liverpool win any game, but now we’re all thinking it’s another game to fit into the schedule. There were only three that shrugged from the weekend against Arsenal and we were all happy to see that level of rotation. This was really about one man though and the man of the match debate was over with over 20 minutes to go. Lots of things to be positive about from this one and a few things including a quarter final to be ponderous over. We look at the lessons learned from a victory at The Amex.
Gakpo Red Hot
Gaaakkkkeeeerrrrssss came the cry from Curtis Jones who nearly leapfrogged the Dutchman after his first. Cody Gakpo loves this competition and a double against West Ham was followed by the same in this one. It didn’t particularly look on when Tyler Morton found him out wide, but he cut inside and thundered a strike into the far corner past Jason Steele. The second was all of his own making and having robbed Tariq Lamptey he despatched another thunderbolt this time right under Steele. Gakpo is in red hot form right now and probably deserves the start over a Luis Diaz in the return game at Anfield on Saturday. Although it was great to see a bit of magic from the Colombian to get on the scoresheet.
What A Keeper Collection
It’s mental to think how good Alisson, Kelleher and Mamardashvilli are. However Jaros hugely impressed in this one and looked every bit the Liverpool number one. He kept it goalless in the first half with a great 1-1 block from Lamptey, standing strong and proved comfortable with the ball at his feet. With Liverpool a goal up, his moment really came. Going the wrong way, he dived back to deny Adingra at full stretch and apteun his header onto the post. There was another save later and whilst he’ll be slightly disappointed with the first, there was nothing he could do with the second. The young Czech did well though.
One To Forget For A Few
He didn’t really have too much to do in this game until late in the second half, but the later it went, the worse it got for Jarrell Quansah. Brighton’s first goal was all of his own making as the young defender lost the ball dribbling out and a minute later it was in ten net. It was unlucky defection for their second off him, but it felt telling that he was taken off for Konate late on to shore it up. It was another one to forget for Andy Robertson too, as Lamptey and Adingra both got the better of him in this one. A number of occasions again when his offside line was out of whack with the rest of the back line. Tsimikas it’ll be to start on Saturday surely.
