Liverpool winger Rio Ngumoha stole the show as Liverpool maintained their 100% record in the Champions League this season by beating Villarreal 4-3 at Anfield on Tuesday night.
Liverpool's record looked in serious doubt as they found themselves two goals down within the first 30 minutes on Merseyside, but late first half goals from Alexis Mac Allister and Ronald Araujo put them back on level terms, before a quickfire second half double from Mac Allister and Florian Wirtz just about put the result beyond doubt.
Ahead of Wednesday night's fixtures, the Reds lie second in the table behind only Paris Saint-Germain, who beat Barcelona in the French capital on Tuesday.
Ngumoha picked up a 9/10 rating for his display against the La Liga outfit, as he produced a coming of age display on the biggest European stage, with two assists for goals from Araujo and Mac Allister.
There would have been concerns after the summer transfer window closed that the Merseysiders hadn't landed a natural right-sided winger, with Ngumoha, Bradley Barcola, Cody Gakpo and Victor Munoz all preferring to play from the left previously.
Liverpool made bids for Crystal Palace's Ismaila Sarr and Brighton and Hove Albion's Yankuba Minteh towards the end of the summer window, but neither deal materialised.
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Rio Ngumoha vs Villarreal
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Ngumoha has been featuring on the right this term and has impressed, with his best performance of the campaign so far coming against Villarreal, where Iraola's tactical tweak unlocked him.
The 18-year-old was unplayable for the 'Yellow Submarine', who were unable to live with his dribbling ability, and based on this showing he may have locked down the right wing position as his own in the coming weeks.
He isn't the only teenager who has a huge future at Anfield though, with the Reds boasting more than one of the best young players in world football.
Nyoni Here to Stay in a Liverpool Shirt
REUTERS/Scott Heppell
Trey Nyoni isn't a new name to Liverpool fans, and Tuesday night was actually his 28th senior appearance for the club.
However, the teenager has made huge strides in his Reds career and he now looks like a player who is ready to consistently start for Iraola's side.
We've seen the Spanish coach have great success with younger players before, like Eli Junior Kroupi at Bournemouth last term, and the same thing is happening with Ngumoha and Nyoni.
Did it happen before or after?
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He is transforming teenagers who are ready to make an impact from the substitutes' bench and odd starts, to players capable of starting week in, week out for the Merseysiders.
Nyoni started his third successive match in all competitions for Liverpool against Villarreal, and it was also his second consecutive start in the Champions League.
The youngster has been helped by an injury to Dominik Szoboszlai and Ryan Gravenberch's suspension, but he is proving he belongs at this level.
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Nyoni vs Villarreal
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While the likes of Szoboszlai and Mac Allister love to bomb forward, Nyoni is more than happy to sit in front of the defence and it's no coincidence that Wirtz looks a better player when the teenager is on the pitch, meaning he has less defensive work to get through.
Ngumoha clearly has a huge future in a Liverpool shirt and the Reds will be hoping to tie him down to a new long-term contract as soon as possible.
But there is something very special about Nyoni took and the way he glides around the pitch, and he looks to be ready to shine in the Liverpool midfield for many years to come.
Soccer Football - UEFA Champions League - Liverpool v Villarreal - Anfield, Liverpool, Britain - October 20, 2026 Liverpool's Ronald Araujo scores their second goal Action Images via Reuters/Jason Cairnduff
Soccer Football - UEFA Champions League - Liverpool v Villarreal - Anfield, Liverpool, Britain - October 20, 2026 Liverpool's Ronald Araujo scores their second goal Action Images via Reuters/Jason Cairnduff