‘It’s different, the freedom I have’: Cody Gakpo leaves behind Liverpool struggles with World Cup show | OneFootball

Liverpool fans must have recognised the scenario. It was the 54th minute of Netherlands’ World Cup meeting with Sweden, when Cody Gakpo received the ball on the left side of the penalty box and cut inside on to his right foot.

Liverpool’s version – Premier League Gakpo – can often be found lashing the ball into a different time zone from this particular space. But this is World Cup Gakpo, Netherlands Gakpo, lithe and balanced, ruthless and dead-eyed. He steadied himself before putting a piercing shot past Sweden goalkeeper Kristoffer Nordfeldt.

Gakpo has now scored five goals in seven World Cup matches after a starring role in this 5-1 win. He has 23 goals in 52 international appearances, running at more than one every other game.

It would be unfair to say he has never shown that form at Liverpool. Gakpo scored 18 goals in the club’s Premier League winning campaign in 2024-25 and became a key part of Arne Slot’s title winners, a grafter without the ball as well as an attacking outlet with it.

But those telling performances have become increasingly rare. Last season he scored only nine goals in 52 games. His Liverpool record stands at 50 goals in 180 games. Not bad, but not the same player Liverpool thought they were signing after his exploits in Qatar the summer he moved from PSV to Anfield, when he scored in all three World Cup group games.

“It’s a little bit different,” Gakpo said, when asked to explain how he is able to perform to such a high level in a Dutch shirt. “How I play here, where the coach wants me to be, the freedom that I have at the club,” he said, before trailing off as if he’d said too much. “That’s it basically.”

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Cody Gakpo celebrates with Netherlands teammate Tijjani Reijnders (Getty)

He was certainly helped here in Houston by the presence of Brian Brobbey, the Sunderland striker who proved a nightmare for Sweden’s defence. Atalanta centre-back Isak Hien was bullied by Brobbey, who used his strength and rapid acceleration to devastating effect with an early double salvo.

“We knew his qualities all along, he’s very strong – very, very strong,” Gakpo laughed. “His hold-up play and coming at the right time into the box is amazing.

“We used him very well today, with two pretty quick attacks. With the first one, he even held the ball in the beginning and ran towards the goal. So we used his quality very well and I’m very happy for him that he scored two goals.”

The Dutch attack was pinpointed as their great weakness before the tournament. A defence containing Virgil van Dijk, Micky van de Ven and Denzel Dumfries appears world class. A midfield of Ryan Gravenberch, Frenkie de Jong and Tijjani Reijnders is as good as any at the World Cup.

But where would the goals come from? Brobbey had only one in 13 caps before this game. Gakpo had struggled at times for Liverpool this season. Crysencio Summerville was relegated with West Ham. The presence of Memphis Depay and Wout Weghorst in the squad only served to indicate the lack of successors.

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Brian Brobbey scores the Netherlands’ first goal of the game (AP)

But after replacing Crysencio with Brobbey in the starting XI following the 2-2 draw with Japan, Ronald Koeman landed upon a fluid, multi-talented attack which ripped Sweden to shreds.

Brobbey and Gakpo scored two each and Crysencio scored the fifth in this win. Gakpo, Summerville and Memphis, a substitute, all picked up assists, as did Dumfries, twice, roaming forwards from right-back. So have the Dutch been underestimated?

“We have a lot of different qualities,” said Gakpo. “Speed, strong hold-up play, we’re good in the box. Memphis showed his quality. Even on the bench we still have Justin Kluivert and Weghorst [both yet to play], so it’s good to have diversity and qualities to help the team in any moment.

“Japan were very disciplined, not big chances like today. Today there was more variation in attacking play, different positions, movement, so it was more difficult for defenders to mark us. So that was maybe the little thing we missed in the last game.”