Cody Gakpo has praised Liverpool’s collective defensive effort following the 1-0 Premier League win over Sunderland at the Stadium of Light.
Arne Slot’s side became the first team to win at Sunderland in the league this season, with Virgil van Dijk’s second-half header sealing three vital points that moved us to 42 points and within touching distance of the Champions League places.
Speaking to ALL RED Video after full-time, the Netherlands international made it clear that the performance was about more than just the goal.
“Yeah, I think it was a good performance from our side and… in the end a great win, I think deserved if you look at the game and yeah, we are very happy with that.”
The 25-year-old forward acknowledged that the first half was dominant but missing one key ingredient.
“I think we had good opportunities to create chances, we created some chances, but yeah, lacking the goal was the only thing… fortunate for us, we got it in the second half, and we took it with us, the win.”
Gakpo singles out defensive bravery
What stood out most in Gakpo’s assessment was the emphasis on defending as a unit.
“Yeah, we did that very well, I think, in transition moments everybody tried to get back and, both ways, attacking and defending, and obviously we defended with our lives and yeah, that’s what we did very well today.”
Cody Gakpo also highlighted Ibou Konate’s performance, although he was careful not to isolate individuals.
“I think everybody was amazing… Ibou was good again today, like we know him… I think everybody did his job and yeah, very happy.”
He also paid tribute to Wataru Endo who was forced off injured: “Everybody knows what Wata is, a real warrior… he played an amazing game today as well and unfortunate for him, and for us that he got injured.”
Gakpo’s numbers underline strong showing
While Gakpo has faced criticism this season, his performance on Wearside was productive and energetic.
Cody Gakpo vs Sunderland (Source: Sofascore)
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Minutes | 75 |
| Sofascore rating | 7.7 |
| Key passes | 3 |
| Progressive carries | 6 |
| Accurate passes | 19/23 (83%) |
| Aerial duels won | 2/4 |
| Tackles won | 1/1 |
| Total progression | 118.5m |
The Dutch forward completed 83% of his passes, created three key chances and carried the ball progressively six times, covering over 120 metres in forward movement.
That level of industry fits with what he described in his interview: “I think both are equally important… we scored a goal and we kept a clean sheet… we did both today, which is amazing.”
With Luis Diaz thriving in Germany and comparisons inevitably resurfacing, this was a timely reminder that Gakpo still contributes significantly when we perform as a collective.
Gakpo may not be in the conversation for our player of the season, on a wet night in the north east, it was not about flair.
It was about bravery, organisation and defending with discipline.
And according to Gakpo, that unity was exactly what earned us the win.
You can view Slot’s post-Sunderland press conference via Empire of the Kop on YouTube:
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