Cody Gakpo delivered another frustrating performance against PSV, as he once again struggled to produce end product down the left wing.
Liverpool have lost nine of their last 12 games across all competitions, their most defeats over a 12-game spell since November 1953 to January 1954 (also nine).
Arne Slot‘s side have lost three consecutive games in all competitions by a margin of three or more goals for the first time since December 1953.
With so much turmoil and change in other areas of the pitch, the left wing has gone under the radar as an issue.
Gakpo has started 14 of Liverpool’s 17 Premier League and Champions League matches so far, scoring four goals and providing three assists.
Last season he was the Reds’ second-highest scorer after Mo Salah, netting 18 times across all competitions. However, without Luis Diaz to challenge his position, he has been underwhelming this time around.
Against PSV, it was evident that he hasn’t yet formed a relationship with left-back Milos Kerkez.
Having failed to link up with the Hungarian effectively in the early stages, there was a cry of frustration when, on a rare occasion Gakpo should have had a shot, he tried and failed to find his overlapping teammate.
His decision-making and apparent poor quality have led many fans to feel Liverpool can upgrade on the left, and many of FotMob‘s statistics would back that opinion up.
Plenty of shots and crosses – but no accuracy
On Wednesday, he created four chances but that didn’t tell the story of his night.
Among the hindrances to Gakpo’s game is his lack of dynamism. The 26-year-old loves to cut inside onto his stronger right foot.
In the past, he has been shown to possess wicked curl on his subsequent shots and crosses, but he has quickly become a one-trick pony.
Compared to his positional peers in the Premier League this season, the Dutch winger ranks in the bottom 29 percent for his cross accuracy.
He puts in 0.59 successful crosses per 90 minutes and has just a 12.8 percent crossing accuracy rate.
His effectiveness when shooting is also well below par.
This season in the league, he is in the top 11 percent of his peers for shots taken (2.93 per 90) but is in the bottom 38 percent for shots on target, averaging just 0.49 per 90.
Referring back to his lack of zeal as a winger, he hasn’t been able to take players on well either. Against PSV, he completed just one of four dribbles.
Last season, it was Gakpo’s output and knack for popping up with goals that made him an asset. Without that end product, there is nothing that makes him stand out as a player who should be first choice for an elite team.
While the constant switches between Kerkez and Andy Robertson at left-back, as well as the team’s general malaise, won’t have helped Gakpo, it is hard to argue that a signing like Antoine Semenyo wouldn’t improve Liverpool right now.
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