Cody Gakpo netted twice for Liverpool as they cruised to a 4-0 win over LASK at Anfield tonight and, thanks to results elsewhere, wrapped up top spot in Europa League Group E to progress straight to the round of 16 in March.
The Dutchman doubled the Reds’ lead on the quarter-hour mark, shortly after Luis Diaz had broken the deadlock, and he rounded off the scoring in second half stoppage time as he finished to the net from a deft through ball by Trent Alexander-Arnold.
However, speaking to TNT Sports just after the final whistle, the 24-year-old was slightly frustrated that the margin of victory – and his personal goal tally – wasn’t even higher.
Gakpo said: “We started off well with a fast goal from Lucho. We could have scored more today but in the end it was a good win.
“If it was up to me I would score all the chances, but in the end it was only two. We can improve. It was nice that [the second goal] went in. It is amazing when you score.”
Upon learning of the draw between Toulouse and Union Saint-Gilloise which meant Liverpool are guaranteed to finish top of the group, the Netherlands forward said: “It’s important to top the group. We should be top of the group with the quality that we have. That’s well done and we have to keep going because we have big goals for the season.”
Gakpo ended the night with a remarkable tally of six shots, three of which were on target (Sofascore). The upright ultimately denied him a hat-trick, while he also missed a good chance in the opening few minutes before Diaz’s breakthrough.
It says everything about his mentality that, even after such a satisfying win, he was still vexed over the chances which didn’t go in. It’s a mindset which shows that he and Liverpool mean business in this season’s Europa League!
You can view Gakpo’s comments below, via @footballontnt on X (formerly Twitter):
"We could've scored more today!"
Despite scoring four, Cody Gakpo still believes there's room for improvement for this Liverpool side! ⚽️
🎙️ @Becky_Ives_ | #UEL pic.twitter.com/yqnjtUMR2B
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) November 30, 2023