There were no goals at Anfield but a manager reflected on what he termed “promising signs” from the forward signed in January. It was Graham Potter, not Jurgen Klopp, and the attacker in question was Mykhailo Mudryk, not Cody Gakpo. Any comparison is indirect and inexact, and not merely because Potter was asked about a debutant and Klopp was not quizzed about an arrival making his fourth appearance. It was Arsenal Chelsea pipped for Mudryk’s signature and Manchester United who were caught napping when Liverpool nipped in to get Gakpo.
Mudryk was a substitute, Gakpo a starter but a common denominator was a difficulty finding the target amid some wayward finishing: eye-catching as the £88 million man’s pace was, he directed two efforts into the side-netting and was seemingly caught unawares when his second chance fell to him. Gakpo had seven chances, skying the first and best, and the only one that tested Kepa Arrizabalaga was struck at him, albeit after a deft spin and shot.
