Liverpool bolstered their chances of securing Champions League football next season, with an impressive 2-0 victory over Fulham at Anfield last night.
Arne Slot’s men controlled the majority of the clash against Marco Silva’s side, subsequently claiming three more points and maintaining fifth place in the Premier League.
Goals from Rio Ngumoha and Mohamed Salah in the first half were enough to secure the victory, with the Reds unlucky not to find the back of the net on multiple occasions in the second 45.
ngumoha-liverpool
The subsequent result ended the club’s three-game losing streak across all competitions and no doubt relieving the pressure on the under-pressure manager, Slot.
However, despite the result, not every Liverpool player managed to deliver on Merseyside, with multiple players looking shaky throughout the contest.
Liverpool’s poor performers against Fulham
Curtis Jones was brought back into the starting eleven for Liverpool’s clash against Fulham, but it was an evening to forget for the Englishman for multiple reasons.
He failed to win any of the tackles and aerial battles he entered during his 45-minute performance, whilst also being dribbled past by the opposition on two separate occasions.
Liverpool midfielder Curtis Jones
After a disappointing first half, the 25-year-old was replaced at the break, but his withdrawal was due to injury after receiving treatment with just a few minutes remaining before the break.
Jones wasn’t alone in struggling to provide the desired impact, with right-back Jeremie Frimpong unable to make a positive impact on the final scoreline.
The Dutchman featured for 69 minutes before being replaced, with his substitution coming after losing 100% of his ground duels and being unable to win any tackles.
With the ball at his feet, the 25-year-old was just as disappointing, as seen by his failure to complete any dribbles past the opposition or to find any teammates with his three crosses.
Liverpool's biggest underperformer vs Fulham
As previously mentioned, it was a solid performance from Liverpool against a Fulham side who have previously beaten fellow top-five hopefuls Chelsea this term.
Numerous players struggled to match the levels produced by the likes of Ngumoha and Salah at Anfield, which will certainly be a concern to the manager.
Liverpool's Mohamed Salah looks dejected after the match
Jones and Frimpong were just two of the players who were unable to meet expectations on Merseyside, but it’s safe to say they weren’t alone in that regard.
Attacker Cody Gakpo was asked to play in an unnatural centre-forward role last night, but like many times this season, he failed to produce the goods at Anfield.
The Dutch international was selected ahead of the likes of Alexander Isak and Hugo Ekitike, but it was a decision that certainly proved to be the wrong one by Slot.
The 26-year-old featured for the entirety of the contest, but was unable to get on the scoresheet, with his underlying stats highlighting his dismal display.
Liverpool forward Cody Gakpo
He failed to get any of the four shots he took on target, including two efforts that were blocked, subsequently showcasing his wasteful nature in the final third.
Gakpo also missed a big chance in front of goal, whilst being caught offside twice by the opposition, with the makeshift centre-forward unable to get himself into the right areas.
He was kept quiet by the visitors throughout the meeting, resulting in the Dutchman only being able to register a measly tally of just 28 touches of the ball and boasting only ten passes all evening.
His subsequent tally was lower than that of goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili - who registered 49 - further reaffirming his struggles throughout the meeting.
Gakpo’s struggles were further evident in his tally of zero crosses completed, with the attacker still struggling when moved to a more familiar left-wing role.
Liverpool player ratings vs Fulham
Player
Giorgi Mamardashvili
Jeremie Frimpong
Ibrahima Konate
Virgil van Dijk
Andy Robertson
Curtis Jones
Dominik Szoboszlai
Mohamed Salah
Florian Wirtz
Rio Ngumoha
Cody Gakpo
As a result of his showing at Anfield, the 26-year-old was handed a measly 5/10 match rating, with Slot now desperately needing to drop him from the starting eleven.
He’s continuously shown that he’s not capable of stepping up to the occasion when needed, with yesterday’s outing just another example that he’s no longer at the level required.
Ngumoha’s performance was a real positive for the Reds and one that will push Gakpo further down the pecking order - which could see the Englishman take his starting role on a consistent basis.
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