Now over halfway through his third full season with Liverpool, Dutch attacker Cody Gakpo is in the midst of his least fruitful campaign in front of goal.
His first two seasons saw G/A returns of 23 in 2023/24 and 25 in all comps last season. Those were more than serviceable numbers from a player that was not asked to shoulder the scoring burden.
Mohamed Salah was still challenging for Golden Boots and players like Luis Diaz, Darwin Nunez and others were supplementing his scoring.
These days, in a somewhat lesser attacking ranks due to injury and sales, Gakpo is being tasked with more expectation and he is not living up to it at the moment. This season, he is currently on pace for 12 goals and 7 assists from a projected 49 appearances.
It's entirely possible he plays even less than that in which case we could see even fewer goal contributions. His lack of growth is starting to draw a bit more concern from many eyes on the pitch.
Predictable Style
Nobody will ever pretend that Gakpo is a winger that whips crosses in the box and creates a lot of chances for others. That never has, nor ever will be, his game.
He really burst onto Liverpool's radar during the 2022 World Cup in which he was finding the back of the net for the Netherlands with regularity from distance. His gifted right foot was seen as a valuable asset for any aspiring club.
While he had some clear faults, watching Lucho Diaz attack a defense versus watching Gakpo do it, is like watching two whole different modus operandi.
Diaz was full of energy and verve, was not afraid to attack the byline, and had defenders on a string more often than not.
Gakpo on the other hand, especially these days, might be the most predictable forward in the squad. His desire to cut inside on his right foot to get a shot off is the easiest read for defenders trying to stop him.
While he can occasionally get himself into a good spot to really rip it, too many times we've seen him carry the ball into multiple defenders or have to recycle the ball back because the shot was not there.
If he could add even a little diversity to his game, and attack the byline more, be more direct, and read the area around him, he has the talent to make good things happen.
Lack of Consistent Production
One of the biggest knocks on Diaz before he left was a lack of end product. We all knew he was capable of it, and that has been more than proven by his exploits at Bayern Munich this season.
Gakpo has quickly found himself in this same grouping, and it is not a place you want to be at any time as a footballer.
We know he can score goals. He's scored some very important ones during his time with the Reds, including this season. However, as mentioned above, he is on pace to record his lowest goal tally of his time at Anfield.
Arne Slot still clearly trusts him, as he is never going to be short on playing time. Yet, at some point, we need to see Gakpo string together good performances to justify his constant presence on the pitch.
He's played a few times through the middle as well, but it's clear he operates better out wide where he can really stretch his legs and set up his favorite shot.
Improvement must arrive soon
Gakpo is on the pitch for one objective and that is to score and create goals. He's not rushing back to help out defensively nor is he pulling the strings like a Florian Wirtz.
So, when his chances come, he needs to get better at making the most of them. It has been a frustrating season across the board in a lot of respects for Liverpool, and a lot of players have underperformed.
However, with the defense leaking more goals than ever, Slot needs his forward line to answer with aplomb in front of goal. Gakpo is a key component in that and even slightly improved form from the Dutchman would go a long way.
If he continues to stall out and struggles to string together several good showings, a more difficult conversation may need to be had at the end of the season.
For now, that is a long way off, and Gakpo has the talent to give more to this club. Now, it's about actually doing it and not talking about it.