{"id":447331,"date":"2026-02-01T14:27:23","date_gmt":"2026-02-01T14:27:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/447331\/"},"modified":"2026-02-01T14:27:23","modified_gmt":"2026-02-01T14:27:23","slug":"much-maligned-liverpool-player-showed-why-arne-slot-has-persisted-with-him-during-newcastle-win","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/447331\/","title":{"rendered":"Much-maligned Liverpool player showed why Arne Slot has persisted with him during Newcastle win"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>For 35 minutes at Anfield on Saturday it had looked as though Liverpool players were going to come off the pitch having given their critics extra ammunition.<\/p>\n<p>The Reds came out in woefully lacklustre form against Newcastle and were deservedly behind to an excellent finish from Anthony Gordon.<\/p>\n<p>In truth, the Magpies could probably have scored before they did. Robust and energetic, Eddie Howe\u2019s team have given <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rousingthekop.com\/club\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Liverpool<\/a> problems with their physicality plenty of times in recent years. The same looked likely to be the case at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rousingthekop.com\/club\/anfield-stadium-information\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Anfield<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"40\" height=\"40\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/mail.png\" alt=\"mail icon\"\/>Join our newsletter for news &amp; smart analysis.          <\/p>\n<p> Livepool scored four brilliant goals against Newcastle, but which was your favourite? <\/p>\n<p>    <img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" loading=\"lazy\"  src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/GettyImages-2259285186-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"Liverpool v Newcastle United - Premier League\" class=\"wp-image-282068\" \/>Photo by Liverpool FC\/Liverpool FC via Getty Images     <\/p>\n<p> \ud83d\udc47 Join the debate; share your insight. Use the comment button on the bottom left to have your say <\/p>\n<p>But Liverpool soon picked themselves back up, and though Hugo Ekitike was the clear catalyst for that \u2013 with Florian Wirtz as his second-in-command \u2013 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rousingthekop.com\/tag\/cody-gakpo\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Cody Gakpo<\/a> also deserved some praise for his part in the renaissance.<\/p>\n<p>Even while the Reds were underperforming, the Dutchman was possibly his team\u2019s best player. One smart turn and drive got Liverpool on the front foot at a time when the Anfield crowd badly needed a lift. And while Ekitike will grab the headlines, Gakpo\u2019s performance showed how he can still play a big part for the Reds this season.<\/p>\n<p>Cody Gakpo shows why he\u2019s still important<\/p>\n<p>When Liverpool have been poor this season, Gakpo has become the player who invariably takes the most stick.<\/p>\n<p>Something of a one-trick pony with his cut inside and blindly shoot tactic, the 26-year-old has looked like an attacking black hole at times; swallowing up any promising moments for Liverpool in the opposition half.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" loading=\"lazy\"  src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/GettyImages-2258696573-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"Cody Gakpo controls the ball during Liverpool's Premier League match against Newcastle United at Anfield.\" class=\"wp-image-282057\" \/>Photo by Paul ELLIS \/ AFP via Getty Images<\/p>\n<p>READ MORE: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rousingthekop.com\/2026\/01\/31\/liverpool-player-ratings-as-9-10-duo-earn-arne-slot-a-first-premier-league-win-of-2026\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Liverpool player ratings as 9\/10 duo earn Arne Slot a first Premier League win of 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<p>You could understand why Gakpo\u2019s confidence could have taken a hit throughout that period, especially if he made the unwise choice to search his name on social media after a poor performance.<\/p>\n<p>But against Newcastle he once again looked like the player who scored 18 goals for a Premier League title-winning team last season. Sharp, more unpredictable in attack and precise with his passing, Gakpo gave a clear insight into how he can fit into <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rousingthekop.com\/tag\/arne-slot\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Arne Slot<\/a>\u2018s Liverpool attack.<\/p>\n<p>The Reds\u2019 head coach has drawn plenty of criticism for sticking with his countryman this season, but in this kind of form he certainly still has an argument to be starting. <\/p>\n<p>          Give us three words to sum up Liverpool\u2019s win over Newcastle <\/p>\n<p class=\"grv-talking-point__subtitle\">We&#8217;ll start: MORE LIKE IT!<\/p>\n<p>     <img decoding=\"async\" width=\"819\" height=\"1024\" loading=\"lazy\"  src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/RTK-32-2-819x1024.png\" alt=\"Florian Wirtz and Mohamed Salah celebrate a goal against Newcastle United for Liverpool in the Premier League at Anfield (Credit: Getty Images).\" class=\"wp-image-282075\" \/>Photo Credit: Getty Images     <\/p>\n<p> \ud83d\udc47 Join the debate; share your insight. Use the comment button on the bottom left to have your say <\/p>\n<p>   No need for Gakpo to drop out of Liverpool XI<\/p>\n<p>If Alexander Isak was fit right now, it is likely that Gakpo would be the player to make way for him in the starting XI.<\/p>\n<p>But while the Swede remains sidelined, the Netherlands international is still comfortably part of Liverpool\u2019s best attack.<\/p>\n<p>He has not played like that often enough this season, but with Ekitike and Wirtz in better form alongside him, the Newcastle performance showed how he can slot into an in-form forward line.<\/p>\n<p>When the Reds face Manchester City at Anfield next Sunday, there is absolutely no reason for Gakpo to drop out.<\/p>\n<p>He again may not be in too many fans\u2019 favoured XI\u2019s, but on Saturday he showed why he has been Slot\u2019s go-to man so often. <\/p>\n<p>  Join Our Newsletter <\/p>\n<p>Receive a digest of our best Liverpool content each week direct to your mailbox<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"For 35 minutes at Anfield on Saturday it had looked as though Liverpool players were going to come&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":447332,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[440],"tags":[23970,49,48,115463,574,561,82],"class_list":["post-447331","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-soccer","tag-arne-slot","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-cody-gakpo","tag-premier-league","tag-soccer","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/447331","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=447331"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/447331\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/447332"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=447331"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=447331"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=447331"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}