On Sunday, a few hours before many Liverpool-supporting eyes were focused on Trent Alexander-Arnold playing in central midfield for England on Sunday, Cody Gakpo was also auditioning for a different role when he returns to club football.
The Netherlands’ opening 2-1 victory against Poland in Group D was far from convincing, but Gakpo’s performance on the left of Ronald Koeman’s forward line earned him plenty of praise.
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Playing on the left wing for Liverpool is not completely unfamiliar to Gakpo. When he moved to England in January 2023, he initially operated there. But as he adapted to a new league and country, he benefited from shifting to a No 9 role — and was viewed by many as Roberto Firmino’s natural replacement.
And that’s where he has largely played since. There were occasional returns to the left side of Liverpool’s front three last season under Jurgen Klopp but with varying degrees of effectiveness.
(Marcel ter Bals/DeFodi Images via Getty Images)
Things have changed at Anfield. New head coach Arne Slot knows Gakpo more as the dynamic left-winger he faced when his AZ Alkmaar and Feyenoord sides came up against PSV Eindhoven in the Eredivisie. It was Gakpo’s performances in that position that led to Liverpool spending an initial £35million ($44.5m) on him.
Slot values wingers and at Feyenoord, they were a key part of his attacking setup in his preferred 4-2-3-1 system. He wants his wingers to be dynamic, progressive and effective in one-on-one situations.
GO DEEPERHow Arne Slot plays football - and can it work at Liverpool?Of Liverpool’s squad, Luis Diaz best fits that profile, but it is understandable why Liverpool are in the market for another wide midfielder this summer. There has been plenty of speculation over the Colombia international’s future, with Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain rumoured to be admirers.
Of the club’s senior front five, only Mohamed Salah has not been deployed on the left. Darwin Nunez and Diogo Jota can operate there but are stylistically different to Diaz.
But perhaps Liverpool have the answer within their ranks already because, in just the opening 30 minutes of this European Championship campaign, Gakpo showed he is more than worthy of being considered for that position.
In the opening minute, Gakpo controlled a cross to the back post. He squared up the defender, burst past him and forced Wojciech Szczesny into a near-post save.
Two minutes later, he brought down a long ball and drove forward. He exchanged passes with Memphis Depay, but his touch let him down as he was in on goal after bursting into the box…
After five minutes, he collected another switched pass and dribbled at his defender, before crossing the ball in for Depay who could not get a clean connection on his header.
It was an electric start and immediately showcased the unpredictability Gakpo can offer. He is not the quickest, but he is technically gifted and his long strides allow him to advance away from others.
He is strong with both feet and while he prefers to move inside onto his right, he is able to get to the byline and deliver dangerous crosses into the box.
That was demonstrated towards the end of an all-action half hour on Sunday when he accelerated past Poland’s Przemyslaw Frankowski, only to see Denzel Dumfries fail to convert his cross.
Even when playing in central areas, Gakpo has often been most effective when carrying the ball and progressing Liverpool up the pitch.
One of the Netherlands’ best openings came from Gakpo drifting out wide and carrying the ball towards the centre of the pitch. A deft lay-off released Tijjani Reijnders but his low pass was blocked.
It was fitting that he capped off his opening half-hour display with a goal, even if a big deflection was required.
Again, Gakpo picked up the ball, progressed it forward and chose to shoot. He got the luck his performance deserved…
Gakpo’s touch map (below) highlights the influence he had on the game in the attacking third of the pitch.
He was a constant threat and looked assured and controlled in all of his actions. Noticeably, he retained his team’s width too — something Slot demands from at least one of his wingers.
His impact lessened as the game wore on and Poland dropped deeper, but he still created two of his side’s best opportunities in the second half as they pushed for a winner.
He finished the game with three chances created and 54 touches — eight of which were in the penalty area — and completed all five of his take-on attempts.
One of his more impressive take-ons saw him spin and run away from Frankowski, but his subsequent pass was intercepted.
It is in those moments of transition, however, where Gakpo excels.
One of the best Dutch chances came from Gakpo staying wide high up the pitch. He was released in behind, but despite a good lay-off to Xavi Simons, his team-mate skewed his effort wide.
Since his arrival at Anfield, Gakpo’s versatility has worked against him at times. He has never felt undroppable from a starting XI, although he did end both seasons under Klopp in form and in the first-choice side.
Gakpo will aim to become more of a mainstay under Slot. His range of attributes means he could operate in multiple roles as before but, on this evidence, left wing looks like the best position for him.
That will leave Slot with different dilemmas to solve — particularly, what to do with Diaz. Then again, making those decisions and managing players such as Gakpo and Diaz is what the new Liverpool head coach has signed up for.
(Top photo: Marcel van Dorst/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Andrew Jones is a Staff Writer for The Athletic covering Burnley FC and Liverpool FC. Having graduated from the University of Central Lancashire with a First Class Honours Degree in Sports Journalism, Andrew has had written work published for the Liverpool Echo, Chelsea FC and Preston North End. Follow Andy on Twitter @adjones_journo
