Gakpo and Anfield's energy lift Liverpool after Chelsea shootout win
Liverpool's Carabao Cup penalty shootout victory over Chelsea has given Andoni Iraola's side a real lift heading into Sunday's huge Premier League clash with Arsenal, with several outlets focusing on the feel-good factor around the club and Cody Gakpo's growing role in it.
Liverpool.com's five talking points piece (Liverpool.com) praised Iraola's gamble on a changed side, highlighting how Rio Ngumoha was lively and how Gakpo overcame his frustration to help the Reds through on penalties. The same outlet also carried comments from Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool.com), who said he believes Liverpool are heading in the right direction under Iraola and that beating Chelsea has only added to the positive mood around the squad.
Gakpo himself has been central to the coverage. LiverpoolFC.com (LiverpoolFC.com) quoted him saying Anfield "gives us energy nobody thought they had," crediting the crowd with inspiring the team, while Liverpool.com's separate piece (Liverpool.com) expanded on this, with Gakpo claiming "everybody in the stands knows" the effect the support has, again pointing to the Chelsea shootout win as evidence of that bond between fans and players.
The Liverpool Echo takes a slightly broader view (Liverpool Echo), suggesting Iraola is starting to feel the same benefits previous managers like Jurgen Klopp and Rafa Benitez did from rotating and resting players in cup competitions, and that this approach could aid the long-term development of what is still a new-look squad.
Attention is already turning to the visit of Arsenal, with the Echo (Liverpool Echo) flagging a big decision looming over Ryan Gravenberch as Iraola plans for "huge changes," and Liverpool.com (Liverpool.com) going further by suggesting one player "should be dropped" ahead of facing the champions. This Is Anfield (This Is Anfield) frames it as a straight call between Gakpo and Ngumoha, arguing Iraola can't afford to play it safe with his starting eleven for such a big match.
Taken together, the picture painted across these reports is of a Liverpool side buoyed by a gritty cup win and a crowd that's clearly playing its part, but with Iraola now facing selection headaches as he weighs up continuity against freshness for a tough test against Arsenal at Anfield.
Written with the help of AI, using the headlines from the publishers credited above. Each point links to the original report — tap the source name to read it in full.