Strictly Liverpool

Tag: Cody Gakpo

Chelsea 2-1 Liverpool: Reds Slump To Third Straight Defeat

Liverpool’s difficult week ended with another setback as they fell to a 2-1 defeat at Stamford Bridge, their third straight loss away from home in all competitions.

Arne Slot made five changes from the side that lost to Galatasaray, with Giorgi Mamardashvili handed his Premier League debut in goal due to Alisson’s injury.

Conor Bradley returned at right-back, Mohamed Salah came back into the XI, while Alexander Isak led the line. Florian Wirtz dropped to the bench again as last season’s midfield trio was restored.

The hosts, despite missing several key players, struck first when Moisés Caicedo unleashed a stunning 20-yard strike into the top corner in the 14th minute, the third game this week in which Liverpool have conceded the opening goal.

Liverpool had chances to respond before half-time. Cody Gakpo created an opening for Dominik Szoboszlai, who failed to finish, while Isak missed a golden headed chance from Salah’s brilliant outside-of-the-boot cross just before the break.

At half-time, Arne Slot shuffled his side again, switching Szoboszlai to right-back after Bradley was taken off on a yellow card, and later brought on Curtis Jones and Andy Robertson.

The Reds equalised just after the hour when Cody Gakpo poked home Salah’s low cross, with Isak involved in the build-up. At that stage, it looked as though Liverpool might push for a winner.

Instead, it was Chelsea who found the decisive goal late on. Estevão scored at the back post in the 95th minute, punishing Liverpool’s reshuffled defence and sealing a deserved win for the Blues.

The defeat leaves Liverpool second in the Premier League table but marks their third straight defeat on the road heading into the international break.

October 4, 2025
Ekitike Breaks 12-Year-Old Liverpool Record

Hugo Ekitike etched his name into Liverpool’s record books at St. James’ Park, scoring just 20 seconds into the second half as the visitors tightened their grip on a chaotic contest.

The 22-year-old’s strike, timed at 45:20, is the second-fastest second-half goal by a Liverpool player in the Premier League since Philippe Coutinho’s effort against Swansea in February 2013 (45:16).

Only Dirk Kuyt has struck earlier for Liverpool immediately after the interval, netting at 45:09 against West Ham in January 2007.

The Premier League record, however, still belongs to Sammy Ameobi, who stunned Tottenham with a goal timed at just 45:08 for Newcastle in October 2014.

Ekitike’s finish came with ruthless precision. With many home fans still filtering back into their seats, Cody Gakpo carved his way into the Newcastle box, only to see his shot blocked by Fabian Schär.

Ekitike was alive to the rebound, pouncing instinctively and rifling a low drive into the far corner past Nick Pope.

It was a sharp striker’s finish and a moment laced with irony, given Newcastle had explored a move for the Frenchman before his summer switch to Anfield.

The goal showed the contrasting fortunes of the two sides on the night.

Newcastle had bossed long spells of the first half, peppering Alisson with efforts through Anthony Elanga and Bruno Guimarães, yet found themselves trailing after Ryan Gravenberch’s speculative 35th-minute opener from distance.

Their frustration deepened in first-half stoppage time when Anthony Gordon was shown a straight red card for a reckless lunge, leaving Eddie Howe’s side with a mountain to climb.

Ekitike’s strike shortly after the restart appeared to put the contest beyond them, silencing the home crowd and putting Liverpool in cruise control.

Yet the contest was far from over. Liverpool’s defensive frailties resurfaced as Bruno Guimarães pulled one back for Newcastle before substitute William Osula levelled matters, setting up a tense finale.

It took 16-year-old Rio Ngumoha’s composed late finish to seal all three points for Liverpool and spare their blushes.

Ekitike’s second half strike marked his third goal in Liverpool colours, following his strike against Crystal Palace in the Community Shield and another on the opening day of the Premier League season against Bournemouth.

August 25, 2025
‘Totally Different Federico’ – Arne Slot Sees Expanded Role For Chiesa At Liverpool

Liverpool manager Arne Slot is confident Federico Chiesa will play a bigger role for the Reds this season, describing the Italian forward as being “totally different” since returning from the summer break.

Chiesa, who missed the pre-season tour of Asia and attracted interest from Serie A clubs, made an immediate impact off the bench in Liverpool’s 4-2 win over Bournemouth, scoring the winning goal. Arne Slot believes that the goal reflected more than just a moment of brilliance.

“I see a totally different Federico now than through large parts of last season,” Arne Slot told reporters in his pre-Newcastle press conference on Thursday.

“Which is completely normal, because he missed out on the whole pre-season and then came into a Premier League rhythm in terms of amount of games and in terms of intensity. He’s in a much better place now.”

The Dutch manager explained that Chiesa’s renewed fitness and focus mean he could have a greater impact throughout the campaign. “If he’s more available, then he already has more chances to impact our results or his playing time,” he added.

‘Totally Different Federico’ – Arne Slot Sees Expanded Role For Chiesa At Liverpool

With the departures of Darwin Nunez and Luis Diaz this summer, Liverpool’s senior attacking options are now limited to Mohamed Salah, Cody Gakpo, Hugo Ekitike, and Chiesa, with 16-year-old Rio Ngumoha available in support. Slot highlighted how Chiesa’s fitness gives the Reds more tactical depth:

“When we needed a goal and I looked to the bench, I only had him and Rio. For me, although Rio did really well in pre-season, it was quite a normal choice to make to bring Chiesa in, and he delivered.”

Chiesa himself has also underlined his commitment to Liverpool after netting his first Premier League goal.

“I play wherever the coach puts me. I arrived here and had a lot of difficulty because the tempo is just so different, but after a year, I finally got my first Premier League goal. The coach gave me a chance and always had words of encouragement for me,” he explained.

“We will talk to Liverpool, but to be perfectly honest, I am happy here. I am playing for one of the best teams in the world. I just have to wait and be ready, as I was tonight, and prove that I can play for this team. I repeat, the coach has treated me very well in these months.”

With Chiesa more settled, fitter, and determined to show his quality, Arne Slot’s belief in a “totally different” Federico could prove decisive for Liverpool this season.

August 21, 2025
‘I Would Have Loved to Bring on Diogo Jota’ – Arne Slot

Arne Slot admitted he wished he could have called on Diogo Jota as Liverpool fought back to beat Bournemouth 4-2 in their Premier League opener at Anfield.

The Portuguese forward, who tragically passed away alongside his brother Andre Silva in a car crash in July, was known for delivering late goals on big occasions. His final strike for the Reds was a decisive winner against Everton at the Kop End last season.

Liverpool had led 2-0 on Friday night but were pegged back to 2-2 with time running out. Federico Chiesa restored the lead in the 88th minute before Mohamed Salah sealed the points deep into stoppage time.

Reflecting on the tense finale, Slot said:

“Normally, at 2-2, everyone knows which player I look to at that moment in time. I would have loved to bring in Diogo Jota, but I could not for terrible reasons. But tonight the fans and the players did what he did for us many times in the past.”

The Liverpool boss also praised his squad’s mentality after a difficult summer.
“Bournemouth faced a team that never gave up. We lost many players during the summer, but we did not lose our mentality.”

The emotion inside Anfield matched Slot’s words. Supporters sang Jota’s song long after the final whistle, with Salah joining in through tears and copying his late teammate’s celebration. Before kickoff, the Kop unveiled a tribute spelling out “DJ20” while players and staff from both clubs wore black armbands.

August 16, 2025
Liverpool 4-2 Bournemouth: Ekitike Scores As Reds Secure Win

Liverpool opened their 2025-26 Premier League season with a thrilling 4-2 victory over Bournemouth at Anfield.

The night began with heartfelt tributes to the late Diogo Jota and his brother Andre Silva, with a minute of silence, a mosaic, and Jota’s song echoing around the stadium.

The match started quickly, with Hugo Ekitike and Mohamed Salah both bright early on. Ekitike was unlucky when VAR denied a possible handball by Bournemouth’s Marcos Senesi. The first half also saw a brief stoppage when Bournemouth’s Antoine Semenyo reported racist abuse from a fan.

Liverpool broke the deadlock before half-time as Ekitike took advantage of a lucky bounce to finish calmly past Djordje Petrovic.

Liverpool 4-2 Bournemouth: Ekitike Scores As Reds Secure Win

Liverpool started the second half strongly. Ekitike’s clever run and hold-up play set up Cody Gakpo, who scored to make it 2-0. Manager Arne Slot made changes on the hour, bringing on Wataru Endo and Andy Robertson for Frimpong and Kerkez.

Bournemouth hit back quickly. David Brooks delivered a ball for Semenyo to score 2-1, and shortly after, Semenyo ran through the middle of the Liverpool defence to make it 2-2.

Liverpool responded with more changes, bringing on Joe Gomez, Curtis Jones, and, later, Federico Chiesa. The Italian striker volleyed in a superb third goal in the 88th minute, giving Liverpool the lead again. Mohamed Salah sealed the win in stoppage time, curling in his shot to make it 4-2, taking his Premier League tally to 187 goals.

Liverpool 4-2 Bournemouth: Ekitike Scores As Reds Secure Win

Liverpool will now prepare for their next match away at Newcastle.

August 15, 2025
Arne Slot Details Why Wirtz Is Key After Losing Trent Creativity

Liverpool boss Arne Slot says Florian Wirtz will play a vital creative role this season following the departure of Trent Alexander-Arnold to Real Madrid.

Trent’s move to Spain earlier this summer ended a long chapter at Anfield, where he had developed into one of the most creative defenders in the Premier League. His pinpoint crosses and passing range from deep were a constant threat, and he played a vital role in Liverpool’s title-winning campaign under Arne Slot last season.

But with the academy graduate now at Madrid, Slot has turned to a different solution, and believes Wirtz is the man to fill that creative gap, albeit in a more advanced role.

“Florian has a lot of creativity in the final third. We’ve lost with Trent a lot of creativity from the back,” Slot told Liverpoolfc.com after Monday’s double-header wins over Athletic Club. “Trent’s crosses and picking out runners was so special – I think Flo has this quality as well in a totally different position.”

Arne Slot Details Why Wirtz Is Key After Losing Trent Creativity

Wirtz, signed earlier this summer from Bayer Leverkusen, has already shown flashes of his vision and composure in pre-season. The 22-year-old German playmaker is expected to operate as a No. 10 in Slot’s system, linking midfield and attack.

Arne Slot added: “We’ve added a few, in my opinion, extra weapons. The pace of Hugo [Ekitike], the pace of both full-backs – Milos [Kerkez] and Jeremie [Frimpong] today – that’s part of what we’re building.”

Liverpool ended their pre-season with a 4-1 and 3-2 double victory over Athletic Club at Anfield. Rio Ngumoha, Darwin Nunez, Ben Doak, Harvey Elliott, Mohamed Salah, and Cody Gakpo were all on the scoresheet across both games.

“We created a lot of chances, scored seven goals – so that’s very pleasing to see,” Slot said. “But to concede two set-piece goals, especially ahead of Crystal Palace [on Sunday], that’s something we need to fix.”

Still, the Dutchman is confident that his new-look team will be ready.

“The players are fit, worked really hard, played some good football, defended really strong and good – apart from the two set-pieces,” he said. “It’s going to be a very interesting Premier League again.”

August 6, 2025
Liverpool 3-2 Athletic Club: New Boys Impress As Cody Gakpo Hits Brace

Liverpool wrapped up their pre-season double-header at Anfield with a 3-2 win over Athletic Club, thanks to a Cody Gakpo brace and an early Mohamed Salah goal.

The match gave fans a first proper look at new signings Florian Wirtz, Jeremie Frimpong, Hugo Ekitike, and Milos Kerkez, all of whom featured prominently in a lively contest.

The Reds struck first through Salah after excellent work from Ekitike, who delivered a byline cut-back for the Egyptian to slot in at the near post. Athletic equalised through Oihan Sancet against the run of play, finishing a low cross from close range.

Liverpool 3-2 Athletic Club: New Boys Impress As Cody Gakpo Hits Brace

Gakpo restored Liverpool’s lead with a close-range finish after a Gravenberch shot was parried. Saddani then levelled for Bilbao from a corner, with his header deflecting in off Gakpo.

The Dutchman soon made amends, sealing the win with his second goal, a strike that slipped underneath goalkeeper Unai Simon.

Will Wright nearly added a fourth late on, but his chance was denied. Mamardashvili made key saves, while Salah missed a late penalty, chipping over the bar. It was a high-energy finish to pre-season at Anfield, with the Reds now turning attention to the Community Shield clash against Crystal Palace on Sunday.

August 4, 2025
Confirmed: Liverpool Lineup vs Athletic Club (Second Game)

Liverpool have gone with a more senior lineup for the second of today’s friendlies against Athletic Club at Anfield, with several summer signings making their home debuts.

Giorgi Mamardashvili starts in goal, while Jeremie Frimpong and Milos Kerkez are handed starts in defence alongside Ibrahima Konate and Wataru Endo.

Florian Wirtz gets his first Anfield appearance in midfield, joined by Dominik Szoboszlai and Ryan Gravenberch.

Mohamed Salah captains the side and is joined in attack by Cody Gakpo and new signing Hugo Ekitike.

Slot is expected to rotate again during the game, with several youngsters named on the bench.

Liverpool XI vs Athletic Club (Game 2):
Mamardashvili; Frimpong, Konate, Endo, Kerkez; Gravenberch, Wirtz, Szoboszlai; Salah, Gakpo, Ekitike

Subs: Pecsi, Chiesa, Nallo, Morrison, Davidson, Wright

August 4, 2025
Cody Gakpo Tips Dutch Duo To Boost Liverpool

Cody Gakpo believes Jeremie Frimpong and Giovanni van Bronckhorst will add real quality to Liverpool this season as the club prepares for another title challenge.

Frimpong became the Reds’ fourth Dutch player when he joined from Bayer Leverkusen earlier this summer.

The 23-year-old signed a five-year deal after Liverpool agreed a €35 million (£29.5m) fee with Leverkusen. The versatile right-footer is widely seen as Trent Alexander-Arnold’s long-term successor. He played a key role in Leverkusen’s Bundesliga-winning side in 2023–24 and made 53 appearances last season as they finished second. He will now compete for the right-back spot with Conor Bradley, who recently signed a new four-year contract.

Gakpo, who knows Frimpong well from the national team, is excited about what the energetic defender will bring to Arne Slot’s squad.

“He is maybe already the fastest player on the team,” Gakpo told Liverpoolfc.com in Hong Kong. “He has a good cross, he can defend, he can attack. I think he can help us a lot.”

Cody Gakpo Tips Dutch Duo To Boost Liverpool

Van Bronckhorst, a former Dutch international and experienced manager, is now part of Slot’s coaching staff. He joins a new-look setup at Anfield, replacing John Heitinga, who left to take over as Ajax head coach.

“As a player, he has a lot of experience. And also as a manager,” Gakpo said. “I think he can teach us a lot from what he experienced in his career, as a player and as a manager. He has a lot to tell how it was as a player and the teams he played in, so I think everybody is very curious [about] what he has for us.”

Liverpool began their training schedule in Hong Kong on Monday and will face AC Milan in a pre-season friendly on Saturday. The squad is then set to travel to Japan to face Yokohama F. Marinos in their final warm-up match.

“The manager said it was a light session to start the week with, so we are curious to see what tomorrow will bring! But it was a good session to get used to the weather and everything,” Gakpo said.

The Dutch forward also praised the atmosphere since the team landed in Asia and thanked the fans for their support.

“It’s amazing. Even when we arrived at the hotel, a lot of people were cheering for us. They will never let us down. Like we say, You’ll Never Walk Alone. They are everywhere, it’s amazing. We are all looking forward to the game there with a lot of people.”

July 23, 2025
Liverpool 5-0 Stoke: Nunez Bags Hat-Trick as Florian Wirtz Debuts

Darwin Nunez scored a first-half hat-trick as Liverpool reportedly cruised to a 5-0 win over Stoke City in a behind-closed-doors friendly at the AXA Training Centre on Sunday.

The Uruguay striker, who continues to be linked with clubs in Europe and Saudi Arabia, made it four goals in two pre-season games after also scoring in last weekend’s 3-1 victory at Preston North End.

Nunez’s treble and a goal from 16-year-old winger Rio Ngumoha gave the Reds a 4-0 lead by half-time. Reports also confirm that Liverpool’s new £116million signing Florian Wirtz made his first appearance, starting in midfield behind the front three of Mohamed Salah, Nunez and Rio Ngumoha.

Federico Chiesa, introduced after the break, rounded off the scoring with Liverpool’s fifth goal.

Liverpool 5-0 Stoke: Nunez Bags Hat-Trick as Florian Wirtz Debuts

Arne Slot named a strong first-half XI, with Giorgi Mamardashvili in goal and Dominik Szoboszlai starting at right-back alongside Joe Gomez, Virgil van Dijk and Andy Robertson in defence. Curtis Jones and 18-year-old Trey Nyoni joined Wirtz in midfield.

The second half saw Cody Gakpo move into midfield, with Jeremie Frimpong and Ben Doak joining Chiesa in the front three. Kostas Tsimikas played as a centre-back next to Ibrahima Konate.

Though the match was not open to fans or media, several reliable journalists, including James Pearce, reported the key details.

Slot’s team now fly out to Asia for the next phase of their pre-season. Liverpool face AC Milan in Hong Kong on July 26 at the new 50,000-capacity Kai Tak Stadium. They will then travel to Tokyo for a July 30 clash with Yokohama F. Marinos at the 72,000-seat Nissan Stadium.

Liverpool return to Anfield on August 4 for a double-header against Athletic Club, before taking on Crystal Palace in the Community Shield at Wembley on August 10.

July 20, 2025