‘Feels amazing’ – £44m man Cody Gakpo relieved to break Liverpool goal duck at the seventh time of asking

• Dutch forward joined Reds in January
• Regular goal scorer at PSV
• Up and running in Merseyside derby

WHAT HAPPENED? The Netherlands international picked the best possible occasion in which to break his duck, with a crucial effort recorded early in the second half during a 2-0 derby victory over Merseyside neighbours Everton. That outing was Gakpo’s seventh for Liverpool, with the 23-year-old – who was a regular source of goals and assists at previous club PSV – finally up and running with Premier League heavyweights.

WHAT THEY SAID: Gakpo, who moved to England in a £44 million ($54m) deal at the start of the January transfer window, has told Liverpool’s official website of opening his goal account: “It feels amazing to get my first goal in this game – also an important one. I'm really happy. It was amazing. Obviously for a striker it's always nice to score and then also in a derby is a really great feeling. It's always difficult to come out of the dressing room, and if we start off with a goal, that's amazing. It was a good pressing situation from us – Robbo [with a] good one-two with Hendo, Mo on the ball, a good cross, little deflected, but I was there at the second post.”

THE BIGGER PICTURE: Mohamed Salah had opened the scoring for Liverpool in a crunch clash with Everton, as he rounded off a flowing counter-attack, but it was Gakpo’s effort four minutes into the second half that allowed the Reds to breathe a little easier at Anfield.

IN THREE PHOTOS:

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WHAT NEXT? Gakpo will be hoping that the floodgates have now opened for him, with Liverpool – who sit ninth in the Premier League table – readying themselves for another important fixture when they head to top-four hopefuls Newcastle on Saturday.