Liverpool produced one of their most toothless performances in recent memory against Leeds United on New Year’s Day at Anfield, playing out their first 0–0 draw in over two years in a match that felt devoid of any clear-cut chances for either side.
Hugo Ekitike may well have been denied a penalty in the first half, but Liverpool can still hardly feel they deserved all three points, particularly given their lack of clinical finishing, which saw 16 total shots yield just three on target.
However, despite an overall frustrating outing, one of the biggest takeaways moving forward was the reminder of just how talented youngster Rio Ngumoha is—and how he may deserve more regular involvement.
An encouraging cameo
Introduced in the 84th minute on Thursday, it doesn't feel like an exaggeration to say that Rio provided more of an attacking spark in a brief six-minute cameo than any of his senior counterparts managed all evening.
While the rest of the club's attacking players struggled, the 17-year-old created two chances (more than Jeremie Frimpong and Cody Gakpo combined), completed 11 of his 13 passes, and posted a perfect success rate in both dribbles and ground duels—arguably the most energizing Liverpool performance of the match.
Rio’s efficient cameo stood out even more against what was likely Florian Wirtz’s poorest performance in a Liverpool shirt—a disappointing follow-up after what I considered his best display against Wolves.
Considering Rio demonstrated that the newly promoted side’s defense could be gotten at, it was deflating to see Wirtz fail to complete a single successful dribble, leading to him being hooked in the 66th minute.
Between Wirtz's stinker, Gakpo still working his way back to full fitness, Federico Chiesa disappointing in an expanded role against Wolves, and Mo Salah still away on AFCON duty, it genuinely felt as though Ngumoha was Liverpool’s best winger on Thursday—and perhaps Arne Slot should be taking note.
Similar traits to a past contributor
Rio put the world on notice with his instantly iconic 100th-minute winner against Newcastle at St. James’ Park earlier this season, but he has so much more to offer—particularly in a campaign where consistent contributions from the wings have been at a premium following Luis Diaz’s departure to Bayern Munich.
Sure, players like Harry Kane have shown that the transition from the Premier League to the Bundesliga isn’t always difficult, but it’s hard not to wonder how Liverpool’s attack might look had they kept Diaz—who has already registered an incredible 14 goal contributions in 14 games for Bayern this season.
Fortunately for the Reds, if Diaz’s talents are being missed this much, I would argue that Rio has already shown traits more reminiscent of Lucho’s style than any other winger currently at the club—particularly in the way he attacks defenses in a direct, straightforward manner.
Wirtz excels at subtly exploiting the spaces between the lines and Salah has made his name by patiently operating wide before delivering a decisive pass or shot, but both Diaz and Ngumoha thrive on taking on fullbacks at full speed, always looking to drive forward whenever possible.
The sample sizes for these two players are obviously very different, but in the exceptional flashes Rio has shown, he could very well replicate many of the skills Lucho displayed during his time on Merseyside.
Considering that Diaz was second on the team in goal contributions last season, this is certainly something worth keeping in mind.
Loosening his leash
It’s entirely fair to assume the manager doesn’t want to overwork Rio at such a young age, but in an era where young players often become key contributors at elite clubs, it may be time to let him shine.
Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal won’t turn 19 until July, Estevão is finding his feet at Chelsea at 18 and Lennart Karl has already blossomed into a force for Bayern Munich at 17.
With so much young talent already making an impact across Europe, perhaps Slot should be more willing to let Ngumoha lead Liverpool’s own youth movement.
After all, the club has clearly shown a willingness to give young players first-team responsibilities: Trent Alexander-Arnold and Steven Gerrard were 18 when they made their senior debuts, and Raheem Sterling was just 17. If they were able to contribute at that age, there’s no reason Rio couldn’t do the same.
Contemplating giving Rio more minutes reflects not just his talent but also the team’s disappointing form despite a wealth of attacking options.
With the remainder of the domestic season focused more on European qualification than defending the title, Slot can likely afford to take more risks and give his teenager valuable minutes to prepare for the future.
His deployment will still need to be strategic if management truly wants to see him play more, but based on what he’s shown in a limited role so far, he could help address Liverpool’s long-standing lack of creativity on the wings this season.