Cody Gakpo's Struggles Exposed as Liverpool's Biggest Problem in Palace Win

Liverpool secured a 3-1 victory over Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park on Sunday, with goals from Alexis Mac Allister, Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak. While Wirtz and Bradley Barcola have faced recent scrutiny, both players stepped up and combined effectively for Wirtz's goal.

However, the performance of Cody Gakpo highlighted a lingering issue for the Reds. Deployed in the attacking trio behind Alexander Isak, Gakpo did very little to justify his inclusion.

Shunted out to the right side due to squad-building decisions, Gakpo was ineffective in the first half, struggling with the angles when receiving the ball. A switch to the left after the interval solved the angle issue, but he remained ponderous and inefficient with his final action.

Statistically, his display was profligate: he created just one chance, took no shots, accumulated only 0.05 expected assists, and beat his man just once.

This performance continues a difficult run for Gakpo, who has now failed to contribute to a goal in each of his last five Premier League appearances.