Cody Gakpo’s Liverpool stock has reached an all-time low

Liverpool’s brief resurgence after three consecutive Premier League victories came to an abrupt halt at Molineux, and no player embodied the Reds’ regression more starkly than Cody Gakpo. The Dutch forward, long favored by manager Arne Slot, produced a display so devoid of menace that it has intensified calls for an urgent overhaul on the left flank.

Slot’s side had entered the weekend buoyed by a five-goal demolition of relegation-threatened West Ham United, but the euphoria evaporated against another struggling outfit in Wolves. The 2-1 defeat not only checked Liverpool’s momentum but also exposed the tactical gamble of building the attack around Gakpo in the continued absence of injured playmaker Florian Wirtz.

Tasked with leading the line from an unfamiliar left-sided role, Gakpo failed to register a single key pass or completed dribble despite seeing a steady supply of possession. Where predecessor Luis Diaz once tormented Premier League full-backs with direct running and improvisation, Gakpo offered static movement and predictable passing lanes, allowing Wolves to compress the middle and spring repeated counters.

While Mohamed Salah’s giveaway-heavy performance on the opposite wing was partially redeemed by a late goal, Gakpo provided no such lifeline. He was, in effect, an attacking black hole: conservative in possession yet unable to create, cautious in retention yet incapable of stretching the back line. The statistical ledger—zero chances created, zero successful take-ons—told only half the story; the eye test supplied the damning evidence of a player ill-suited to the dynamism Slot’s system demands.

The result leaves Liverpool’s coaching staff with an uncomfortable reality. Plans already envisioned a fresh left-sided attacker arriving in the summer, but Gakpo’s form is deteriorating so rapidly that the club may be forced to accelerate the transition, phasing out his minutes before the January window even opens. Each additional start, the analytics suggest, is now costing precious points in a campaign where top-four margins are expected to be razor-thin.

Slot shouldered the brunt of supporter ire after full-time, yet the spotlight will inevitably shift toward his chosen offensive fulcrum. If Gakpo cannot rediscover confidence and productivity, his Anfield future could be measured in weeks rather than seasons.