Andoni Iraola’s large choice paid off towards Spurs and might be essential to Liverpool’s season
Liverpool manager Andoni Iraola made quite the bold call over the summer and, as the Reds beat Spurs 3-1 in the Carabao Cup, we saw it pay off
Andoni Iraola’s side ran out 3-1 winners on Tuesday(Image: AFP via Getty Images)
There were plenty of eyebrows raised in the days leading up to the transfer deadline when Liverpool turned down Manchester City’s £80million bid for Cody Gakpo.
On the face of it, the decision was a strange one. Gakpo had hardly set the world alight last season, and £80m is a serious chunk of money for any player. A move to City, meanwhile, didn’t seem to make much sense for either party.
Yet Liverpool reportedly pulled the plug on the deal, choosing instead to keep Gakpo at Anfield for another season. And on Tuesday night, against Spurs, they were given a pretty emphatic reminder of exactly why.
Cody Gakpo looked like he could be on the way out of Liverpool in the summer(Image: AP Photo/Jon Super)
JOIN US ON FB! Get all the best sports news and much more on our Facebook page
On a wet night on Merseyside, Gakpo was the standout player as the Reds showed they may have been right to keep hold of their Dutch forward.
Alex Mac Alister, another of Arne Slot’s favourites who looked like he could be on his way out of the club in the summer, opened the scoring before the Dutchman doubled the lead.
It’s the latest in a string of performances that has seen Gakpo standout in what has been, by their very lofty standards, a slow start to the season.
Cody Gakpo scored Liverpool’s second on Tuesday(Image: Getty Images)
And fans have noticed the change too: “Gakpo and Mac Allister were the ones many fans wanted gone. Now look at them being our best players this season!”
“Mac Allister and Gakpo have been our absolute saviours this season,” a second shared. While a third said: “Give Iraola the keys to the city for turning Gakpo and Mac Allister back into footballers!”
And another added: “Cody Gakpo. El capitano. He is built different this season. What a finish!”
Alexis Mac Allister was also outstanding against Spurs(Image: Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
And Gakpo could hold the key to a successful Liverpool season, with the Reds heading into uncharted waters without the goals of Mohamed Salah.
Replacing a player who has been so consistently prolific will be no easy task, but Gakpo is already showing signs that he could help fill the void.
His ability to play across the front three also gives Iraola plenty of flexibility, while his performance on Tuesday suggested there could be much more to come.
Spurs did offer something of a care, but they were emphatically put to bed when Dominic Szabolozai wonderfully lashed the ball into the top corner in added time.
There will be tougher tests to come for the Reds, who need to get their Premier League campaign back on track, and Gakpo will be central to that.
