Anfield got it’s first proper showing of how devastating a front three of Mo Salah, Darwin Nunez and Cody Gakpo could be in Liverpool’s 7-0 demolition of Manchester United on Sunday. It’s been a far from easy season for Jurgen Klopp to oversee an evolution up front but there are increasing signs that the new blend will reap rewards.
This week, the club’s principal owner John W Henry spoke of his ongoing commitment to Liverpool and the need to continue to “invest wisely”. That comment is likely to be directed at the team’s midfield which is in need of summer reinforcements.
However, it is the recent rapid strides made by Nunez, a £64million signing in June, and January arrival Gakpo that signal Liverpool’s planning is coming to fruition in attack.
Liverpool lost Sadio Mane last summer to Bayern Munich and Roberto Firmino looks set for an Anfield exit in the next transfer window, but suddenly there appears to be a potent forward line forming for the next stage of Klopp’s reign.
Both Gakpo and Nunez scored twice last weekend, the Dutch striker taking his tally to four in the last six games while the Uruguayan international has four in four and 14 for the season. That has helped lessen the blow of being without Diogo Jota and Luis Diaz for several months.
“John is right. Look at the players we have brought in the last couple of transfer windows, Luis, Darwin, Cody, players for the first line,” said Klopp. “I think Sadio, Bobby and Mo together were for quite a while one of the best front three in world football.
“Then Sadio left in the summer, we will see what happens to Bobby in the summer, and only Mo is left pretty much. But we replaced them and Diogo came in that time as well. That’s investment, and it’s wise investment and responsible investment. That’s what you want and what you need and what we needed.
“This year they were unfortunately most of the time injured, that didn’t help, but they were here anyway and Cody only came later. This has to be now, in a similar manner we will do that for other parts of the team and that will be possible.”
'New signings dealt well with expectations'
Given Liverpool’s turbulent campaign and injuries to other key attackers, there was a lot of expectation on the pair of new signings to hit the ground running and strike from the off. The manner in which both players have dealt with that pressure highlights their character, according to the manager.
“They deal very well with it [expectation] but I think we deal very well with it altogether because we don’t put extra pressure on the players; we never did and will never do,” said Klopp.
“But that doesn’t mean there is no pressure because we know the world can be quite an intense place, especially when you cost a lot of money and a lot of things are said and written and you have to deal with it.
“We were hoping for it but you never know 100 percent. [Cody’s] contribution is really obvious, the same for Darwin. Obviously scouting can never be perfect because you only know a player when he is around you but we were obviously spot-on in these moments.
“We signed the player but the boy behind [the player] as well, and both worked really well so I’m really happy with the development.”
The evolution of Klopp’s squad took another step this week when Firmino told Klopp that he would not be extending his contract, which expires at the end of the season, and is set to leave after eight years with the Merseyside club.
Clinching a top four spot would be a positive way for Firmino to depart Liverpool, and their current five-game unbeaten run in the Premier League, winning four of them, and not conceding a goal gives them a fighting chance of securing a Champions League berth with a trip to bottom side Bournemouth to come on Saturday.
“Surprised? Yes, a little bit,” Klopp said of Firmino’s decision, “but I was not hit by the surprise, actually it’s a normal thing to do. It could go two ways and it was one and I respect that a lot. He told me and then the only other thing he said is, ‘Now I want to bring this wonderful story to a positive end’.
“He is completely here and completely committed, how everybody can imagine and that’s all we need to know. There’s no time for a goodbye or whatever in this moment, there’s enough time for that later in the season.”