Why Gakpo Has Been Transformed By Liverpool’s New Approach
Something has clicked for Cody Gakpo. The Dutchman was heavily linked with a summer exit and looked short on confidence for large parts of last season, yet under Andoni Iraola he now resembles one of the first names on the team sheet.
His performance in the 3-1 Carabao Cup win over Tottenham was the clearest illustration yet. A goal, two assists and a Man of the Match award later, it is fair to say Gakpo has found a manager and a system that suits him.
A different kind of Liverpool
Iraola’s football is quicker and more vertical than what came before it, and Gakpo’s game, built on pace, directness and a willingness to run in behind, fits that template far more naturally than the more patient, possession heavy approach Liverpool leaned on previously.
Against Spurs he was constantly available in transition, carrying the ball forward at every opportunity rather than waiting for play to come to him. The opening goal owed plenty to his movement and quick thinking, and from there his contribution only grew.
Two goals in the contribution column, but so much more besides
A composed finish from a tight angle doubled Liverpool’s lead, and Gakpo was involved again for the third, setting up the goal that put the tie to bed. Two goal involvements is one thing, but it was the manner of his overall performance, powerful, direct and full of confidence, that stood out most.
This was also a night when Liverpool’s academy contingent and fringe players were given their chance, with Alexis Mac Allister pulling the strings in midfield and Trey Nyoni growing into the deeper role alongside him. Several of the younger names will have taken real encouragement from how the evening went.
Mamardashvili’s night should not be overlooked
While Gakpo took the individual honours, Giorgi Mamardashvili was excellent between the posts. The goalkeeper produced a string of important saves, including a superb low stop after half time and an even better one handed effort later on, and was unfortunate to be at fault for Tottenham’s consolation goal given how well he performed either side of it.
It also raises an interesting question for Iraola going forward. Liverpool kept faith with Gakpo through a difficult summer of speculation, and performances of this calibre will make it harder to leave him out once the club’s more established forwards are fit and available again.
The tide has turned
A Liverpool team shorn of several senior players still found a way to win comfortably, and much of that comes down to a head coach who is clearly building trust with his squad’s fringe options. For Gakpo specifically, the change in manager appears to have unlocked something that had been missing for the best part of a year.
None of this guarantees anything long term. Form in cup competitions does not always translate directly to the bigger occasions in the Premier League and Europe, but it does suggest Gakpo has rediscovered the confidence that was so conspicuously missing before Iraola’s arrival. For a player whose Anfield future looked genuinely uncertain only a few months ago, that shift matters, and if this version of Gakpo is the one Iraola can consistently call upon, Liverpool have found themselves an extra attacking weapon at exactly the moment they need one.