Gakpo justifies faith
As he wheeled away towards his delighted team-mates, the relief from Cody Gakpo was almost tangible.
Small wonder. After six games without either a goal or an assist following his potential £44million move from PSV Eindhoven, Gakpo’s first-half display was very much that of a player in need of a change of fortune.
Everything was tantalisingly out of reach. Flicks didn’t quite come off, interceptions were just a split-second too late and, when a chance presented itself from Darwin Nunez’s attempted overhead kick, he snatched the header wide.
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But after prodding home Trent Alexander-Arnold’s inviting cross at the far post for Liverpool’s second goal four minutes into the second half, Gakpo was a man transformed and finally delivered the type of performance that justified the Reds’ significant outlay and the continued faith of Jurgen Klopp.
Playing in a central role, the Holland international, as to be fair he has shown in brief glimpses previously, was a particular danger when dropping deep and running at the Everton defence. And there were greater signs of an understanding with his team-mates, not least when finding space as the game became increasingly stretched.
Gakpo admitted his adaptation was being made more difficult by Liverpool’s general travails. This evening, then, will hopefully be a turning point for both team and player.
Salah and Nunez offer reminder
If, as Mohamed Salah insisted afterwards, Liverpool looked more like their old selves here, that was never more encapsulated than with their opening goal.
It was a proper throwback, straight off the opening pages of the Reds playbook during the Klopp era as defence was turned into devastating attack in a matter of seconds.
Not that it wasn’t without fortune, as James Tarkowski’s header struck the post and the rebound from Dwight McNeil was blocked.
But there was nothing lucky about the manner in which Darwin Nunez took the ball out of the Liverpool box and exchanged passes with Salah before tearing down the left flank and eventually lifting a cross into the area where the Egyptian was one of three home players ready to prod the ball home.
Having previously scored only twice since the World Cup break, questions were rightly being asked about Salah’s form. But his overall performance – constantly tormenting Everton left-back Vitalii Mykolenko – indicates the bit is back between this teeth.
Nunez, too, can be happy with his efforts on the left flank, although, as Klopp later admitted, the Uruguayan would greatly benefit from a goal. Keep playing like this and it will come, however.
Cavalry arrives
Andy Robertson couldn’t help himself. As the clock ticked down, the Liverpool left-back took the chance to waste a little time by knocking the ball just out of reach of Jordan Pickford.
The Everton goalkeeper, as is often the case, allowed his temper to get the better of him, Robertson – making his 250th Reds appearance – laughed in the face of his opponent, and then players from both sides got involved.
If a somewhat unseemly finale to a hard-fought match, the Liverpool crowd lapped it up as proof their neighbours had been irked into submission.
And there was more to enthuse a buoyant Anfield who, as Klopp later inferred, truly found its voice in only a fourth home game since November.
Diogo Jota, out since October, and Roberto Firmino, absent since the season resumption, both made their comebacks from injury while Virgil van Dijk, missing since January 2, was also on the bench.
Indeed, the strength in depth meant that, even with Ibrahima Konate, Luis Diaz and Thiago Alcantara all injured, there was still no room in the matchday squad for Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Curtis Jones. Klopp may soon have selection headaches of a very different kind.
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