Slot Must Bench 17 times Liverpool stars lost the ball

Liverpool elevated their possibilities of securing a top-four place within the Premier League this afternoon with a 5-2 victory over West Ham United at Anfield.

Arne Slott’s facet had a three-goal lead on the finish of the primary half with targets from Hugo Ekitike, Virgil van Dijk and Alexis Mac Allister, all however sealing victory for the Reds.

A second-half objective from Kodi Gakpo and an personal objective from Axel Disasi ensured Merseyside’s efficiency was top-notch they usually moved as much as fifth place.

Nevertheless, though targets from Tati Castellanos and Tomas Soucek induced Slot’s facet to expertise a lot of tense moments, the Reds’ attacking high quality managed to shine by.

Regardless of having one participant on the scoresheet, he once more did not impress on this afternoon’s win, which raises questions on his future.

Statistics behind Gakpo’s match in opposition to West Ham

Winger Gakpo was on the scoresheet for the primary time in eight video games, however struggled to make an impression all through the 90 minutes.

The Dutchman’s objective introduced the Reds inside three targets once more at Anfield, however it solely made up for his dismal efficiency in opposition to a staff within the relegation zone.

He took half in 11 duels this afternoon, successful 5-2, however misplaced in 9 of them. That quantity was the best of any participant on the pitch.

Gakpo may have simply added a second objective, however his miss from simply 4 yards just about summed up his latest poor show on Merseyside.

His tried dribbles additionally failed, and his crosses failed to search out his teammates, additional highlighting his struggles in attacking areas.

The Dutchman was in a position to get one other one again within the second half attributable to his personal complaints and was fortunate to keep away from a second yellow after choosing up three fouls.

Liverpool’s star participant is a much bigger downside than Gakpo

Given his struggles in latest weeks, particularly given the rise of teenage star Rio Ngmoha at Anfield, Gakpo is a participant below big strain.

The 17-year-old usually needed to be taken off the bench in its place and left supporters confused, notably after his cameo look in opposition to Nottingham Forest.

Nevertheless, the teen should watch for extra time on Merseyside, with Slott seemingly decided to pick out a participant like Gakpo forward of him within the pecking order in the intervening time.

The Dutchman will not be the one participant to battle to ship regardless of the religion that continues to be proven in him, with fellow winger Mohamed Salah being one other star who has fallen properly in need of expectations.

The Egyptian worldwide has performed a central function in Liverpool’s success over the previous few seasons, however age has undoubtedly caught up with the 33-year-old.

He presently has 11 video games with no objective within the Premier League and is not a power to be reckoned with in assault, as he was throughout his years at Anfield.

Salah’s efficiency in opposition to West Ham was one other instance of him not being on the stage he must be, and his poor type is now a much bigger downside than Gakpo’s.

He misplaced the ball 17 instances throughout the win in opposition to the Hammers, essentially the most of any Reds participant, highlighting the shortage of high quality inside the closing third.

The winger additionally did not convert any of his tried dribbles, with simply 11% of his crosses delivered into the field being discovered by teammates.

Salah has additionally misplaced 100% of his aerial duels and solely recorded one shot on objective, however the ahead is certainly struggling to provide as a lot as he used to.

The Egyptian has actually contributed considerably to Liverpool’s success lately, however finally the time has come to maneuver him on to permit the following technology to flourish.

The membership’s important funding in the summertime has helped handle a lot of key points inside the squad, however it’s clear that the membership wants extra reinforcements in a variety of areas.

Given his earlier stage, it might be very unhappy to see the winger decline and he and Gakpo can be determined for a substitute within the close to future.