Cody Gakpo endured another action-packed afternoon at Anfield on Saturday as Liverpool's hopes of Champions League qualification were all but ended after a sluggish showing against Aston Villa.
The Dutchman, as has been the case since signing from PSV Eindhoven for £37m in January, was at the centre of all of Saturday's talking points.
Of course, it was during the first half as Liverpool looked to bounce back from Jacob Ramsey's Kop end-strike, which handed the Villans a shock lead, that Gakpo was met with the force of Tyrone Mings' studs across his chest in a challenge that referee John Brooks and those in command of the Video Assistant Referee bizarrely deemed to be worthy of only a yellow card.
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Shortly after the break, Gakpo then found himself at the heart of another highly contentious VAR discussion as his strike was chalked off after Virgil van Dijk was deemed to have interfered with the passage of play from an offside position. Despite the decision, it was, amid all of the chaos, calmness personified by the 24-year-old as he positioned his body accordingly to steal a yard on Villa defender Ezri Konsa before smashing his effort home from close range.
Should the strike have stood, it would have taken Gakpo's tally in the Premier League to seven goals in 20 appearances since his mid-season switch from the Eredivisie. Instead, his return stands at respectful six, with strikes against Everton, Newcastle United, Manchester United (2), Leeds United and West Ham all instrumental in helping the Reds rediscover their form of old during the late months of the Premier League season and going 10 games unbeaten in their quest of a place in next season's Champions League.
But perhaps a more unassuming part of Gakpo's afternoon, however, was the role he bore in the closing stages as Jurgen Klopp pursued more bodies in attack with his side trailing 1-0 and therefore introduced Roberto Firmino, Diogo Jota, James Miler and Harvey Elliott in place of Curtis Jones, Luis Diaz, Jordan Henderson and Fabinho.
After such tactical tweaks, Gakpo was harnessed into a new-look midfield role alongside Milner and Elliott. It was after such a switch and with just over 10 minutes remaining at Anfield that Liverpool finally piled the pressure on Unai Emery's side and were duly rewarded with a much-deserved equaliser as Firmino bundled home Mohamed Salah's cross with just seconds of normal time remaining.
Despite the Egyptian claiming the assist for the Brazilian's last-ever Anfield strike, it was the redeploying of the No.18 that was chiefly responsible for reinvigorating Liverpool after a largely sluggish preceding 75 minutes. Gakpo's deeper role once again underlined the wide-ranging qualities he has brought to Anfield since outgoing sporting director Julian Ward sacrificed his festive celebrations to strike a deal with his PSV counterparts.
All of those traits were encapsulated in the 81st minute when he received the ball from Van Dijk in his own half before dropping his shoulder, elegantly dodging the press of Emi Buendia and clipping the ball 30 yards into the stride of Salah, bypassing several Villa players in the process. The Dutchman even proved to be a nightmare for Villa's defenders with his back-to-goal as he performed the trademark half-turn that has become a regular sight for Kopites during his fledgling career as Liverpool's newest false nine innovation.
And, on reflection, Gakpo's comprehensive tactical understanding may prove to be a vital boost to Darwin Nunez's chances of enjoying long-term success at Anfield. The Uruguayan has endured a challenging first season on Merseyside, despite his return of 15 goals in all competitions, with Klopp recently citing the forward's difficulties in understanding the English language and struggles to adapt to his side's pressing demands as an explanation as to why he only started three of Liverpool's last nine Premier League games prior to his recent injury.
Rather tellingly, Nunez's frustrations on Merseyside coincided with Gakpo's arrival in the New Year, with the former PSV Eindhoven captain emerging as Klopp's first-choice successor to Firmino. Such a change to the Anfield pecking order has meant that eight of Nunez's appearances in 2023 for the Reds have come on the left-hand side of attack and not in a central role.
In fact, since Gakpo's Premier League debut during the 3-0 defeat at Brighton in late January, he and Nunez have started just nine of a possible 23 games together, and Liverpool have won just four of those. Meanwhile, the Uruguayan was only afforded two starts in the months of April and May - which saw the return of Luis Diaz on the left - as his side embarked on a seven-game winning run in the Premier League and catapulted themselves to the brink of the league's top-four.
And while Gakpo has thrived in his role at the focal point of attack and is expected to do so in the absence of the long-serving Firmino, this season has exposed the Reds' overdependence on their renowned 4-3-3 formation. Meaning if they are to avoid a repeat of the struggles from this campaign, as the building of Klopp's second, great side takes shape during the summer months, versatility will be essential.
In that sense, Gakpo has Liverpool sorted.
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