Although Cody Gakpo is undeniably a fan favorite of Jurgen Klopp, the Liverpool winger did not elevate himself to a position of glory last night in the Netherlands’ match against the Republic of Ireland.

In the Dutch side’s 1-0 victory over the Irish, the attacker was unimpressive, as Wout Weghorst’s early goal was sufficient to punch the Netherlands’ ticket to the Euros next summer.

Although Ronal Koeman’s side achieved a successful evening, Gakpo endured a forgettable one, receiving severe criticism from the Dutch press for failing to make a significant impact and failing to impress.

Given a 5.5 rating by Football Oranje and a ‘disappointing’ label by Voetbal Primeur, it is safe to say that Gakpo’s performance against Ireland last night was less than ideal.

And such a performance could cause Klopp some difficulty at Liverpool, particularly as we approach the colossal Premier League match against Manchester City the following weekend.

As we near the Etihad Stadium matchup next week, Gakpo risks being relegated to the bench, given that Luis Diaz, Mohamed Salah, and Darwin Nunez have all been on fire on international duty this month.

Furthermore, Gakpo’s performance last night did not significantly trouble Klopp regarding his selection, as he is now set to start on the bench against City on the following Saturday.

Gibraltar is the Netherlands’ next destination, so it is reasonable to assume that Gakpo will be eager to face the European minnows, whose 14-0 loss to France this past weekend made history for all the wrong reasons.

Indeed, if given the start by Koeman on Tuesday night, Gakpo can make quite the statement; the winger is undoubtedly eager to return to the scoresheet for his national team.

And Gibraltar could not be a more ideal opponent, as the £43 million Liverpool winger is likely already anticipating this match as a confidence-booster.