Jurgen Klopp says Cody Gakpo “eats football” in a glowing Liverpool admission
Liverpool won convincingly at Leicester on Monday night, and Jurgen Klopp praised Cody Gakpo in his post-match interview despite the fact that he did not score or assist.
Jurgen Klopp praised Cody Gakpo after the forward put in another strong performance in Liverpool’s 3-0 win over Leicester.
Gakpo, 24, played in the No.9 position alongside Luis Diaz and Mohamed Salah as Liverpool defeated Leicester at the King Power Stadium on Monday. Curtis Jones scored twice and Trent Alexander-Arnold added the icing on the cake as Klopp’s team won their seventh game in a row.
It puts them just outside the Champions League places and one point behind Manchester United and Newcastle, despite the fact that both have a game in hand on Liverpool. Following the win at Leicester, Klopp emphasized Gakpo’s role in the victory and how he has continued to impress.
“He is a super footballer and a smart person,” Klopp said, adding, “I never doubted that he was only 24, but he is really young.” He was the captain of his previous club (PSV), which is unique.
“And then you meet the boy, and you realize, ‘Ah, OK, now I understand why.'” He eats football, and every piece of information we give him feels so natural for him to apply on the field.
“He’s in a position he’s never played before, but he loves it.” We need him there, and it’s great that he can play three or four positions, but he’s adapted quickly.”
Gakpo has six goals and three assists in 19 appearances since joining from PSV in January. He has led the line for the majority of his time at Anfield, while Gakpo has also played on the left wing when needed.
Liverpool were dominant throughout the 90 minutes in the East Midlands, and Klopp may have been disappointed that they didn’t score more. Diaz should have scored immediately after Jones’ second, and Salah blew a golden opportunity to put the game away in the second half.
“No, but it was good – really good,” Klopp said when asked if it was the perfect away performance. I would have liked to have had better control between the 55th and, I don’t know, the 75th minute. Our positioning was not as distinct. Because it was a bit of a wild game, I accepted everything for the first 15 minutes.
“They really went after us, and we had to figure out how to build the game up.” We had to adapt to that, and the boys did so; we became more flexible, and from that point forward, we had five players facing the opposing goal, allowing us to pass through the lines and mix it up with [a] pass in.
Liverpool’s final two games are against Aston Villa and Southampton, as they look to keep pace with Manchester United and Newcastle in the top-four race. Klopp will be hoping for a favor from Leicester when they visit St James’ Park next Monday.
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