Rio Ngumoha
Rio Ngumoha
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As is so often the case in the early rounds of the League Cup, it was a chance for the next generation to showcase their talents at Anfield on Tuesday evening.
Commanding the headlines was Lewis Koumas, the 20-year-old Wales international who, on only his second start for Liverpool more than two years after his first, was man-of-the-match with an energetic display leading the forward line that led to a standing ovation on his late substitution.
Trey Nyoni, the 19-year-old midfielder who has been a permanent fixture in the first-team squad for more than a year, posted further evidence he is nearing a full Premier League debut with a solid outing in a defensive midfield role.
And further upfield, James McConnell issued a reminder of his wares with a busy showing in an unaccustomed number 10 role in his first Reds start in more than 18 months.
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But it says much that the impactful performance from the youngest player on the pitch in the 3-1 triumph over Tottenham Hotspur was largely overshadowed.
That, though, is no lack of respect for Rio Ngumoha, merely an indication of how such displays are now recognised as the norm from the prodigiously talented 18-year-old.
Ngumoha's willingness to run at defenders forced the opening goal when the ball dropped for Alexis Mac Allister to sweep home from the edge of the area, while his purposeful running was again to the fore as he pushed back a retreating Tottenham defence when moving in off the flank to initiate the move for the second goal scored by Cody Gakpo.
That Ngumoha was operating on the right rather than his preferred left-wing role was instructive. His experiences thus far have been inconsistent in that position, but he was far more comfortable and thus more productive against Tottenham.
The England international only touched the ball 24 times - the same as McConnell, who played 10 fewer minutes - and actually only completed 10 passes. But, with an accuracy of 80%, he made them count, the highest completion rate of any starting Liverpool forward on the evening.
His defensive work has also improved with only three Liverpool players making more tackles and more interceptions on the evening.
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Already this season Ngumoha has featured for more than 230 minutes while making three starts, tallies he didn't reach until mid-January last term. Given the competition he faces for positions in either wide role, it is a sizeable show of faith from new Reds head coach Andoni Iraola.
And Ngumoha is proving a quick learner, given his increasingly productive outing on his first Champions League start last weekend in the visit of wily campaigners Atletico Madrid.
“For the gaffer to put faith in me and to show me that he believes in my abilities and qualities to help the team get a win is really positive," he said afterwards. "I couldn't ask for much more.”
Until Ngumoha puts pen to paper on an expected new contract - his current first professional deal is due to expire in 2028, the maximum duration Liverpool were permitted to tie down the youngster when celebrating his 17th birthday 12 months ago - rumours of interest from Champions League final losers Arsenal will persist.
The Reds, though, are confident the remaining details will be ironed out with the youngster's importance to Liverpool under Iraola now patently clear.
And if ever there was proof Ngumoha is fully-fledged option on either flank, it came on Tuesday. Anfield is where he needs to be right now - and the foreseeable future.