One former Liverpool player has demanded that Rio Nguhoma must start for the Reds moving forward, after another memorable outing from the 17-year-old in the FA Cup.
Rio Ngumoha’s latest cameo in the 3-1 win over Wolves has sparked a fresh wave of excitement, with calls now intensifying for the 17-year-old to be handed a permanent role in Arne Slot’s starting XI. After terrorizing the Wolves backline in the FA Cup, the consensus is growing: Ngumoha is no longer just a prospect; he is a genuine solution.
While Nguhoma didn’t get on the scoresheet, alongside Andy Robertson, Mohamed Salah, and Curtis Jones, during the one-sided 3-1 win, he was still a major thorn in Wolverhampton Wanderers side throughout the straightforward victory.
Indeed, he was even handed the post-match accolade of man of the match by the Emirates FA Cup for his dangerous showing, with the teenager ending the game with three successful dribbles registered, and four shots on the Wolves’ net amassed, as he constantly disoriented the home side’s defensive ranks.
The sky really does feel like the limit for the wide-eyed winger, now, who was further branded as an “outstanding” talent at the full-time whistle by Reds veteran Virgil Van Dijk.
It’ll be up to Nguhoma to stake a claim for a starting spot moving forward in the Premier League, though, with more blistering cameos, here and there, surely gifting him a regular starting space in the top-flight, down the line.
There have already been demands made by one vocal pundit, regarding Nguhoma starting against Tottenham Hotspur up next, as Liverpool reenters the bread and butter of league action.
Jermaine Pennant’s comments about Nguhoma
Jermaine Pennant is known to be a figure who doesn’t mince his words, with Pennant defending the a fore mentioned Van Dijk earlier in the season, when debates popped up as to who the better Premier League defender was, between the classy Dutchman and Chelsea great John Terry.
This time around, he has weighed in on all the hype surrounding the tricky number 73, by stating that Slot will have “truly lost his marbles” if he doesn’t start the homegrown attacker versus Igor Tudor’s leaky Spurs.
He would also boldly state that Nguhoma offered more for Liverpool down the wings in his 65-minute stint at Molineux than the much-maligned Gakpo has offered all year.
It could well be time for Slot to persist with Nguhoma in Premier League action, as Gakpo has notably struggled down the flanks in recent matches, with only two top-flight goals falling into his lap this calendar year.
He also looked unsure up top in the FA Cup, replacing Hugo Ekitike as the main marksman for the one-off tie, as he managed more offsides than notable shots on Sam Johnstone’s goal.
Nguhoma vs Gakpo’s stats – FA Cup vs Wolves:
| Metric | Nguhoma | Gakpo |
| Position | LW | CF |
| Minutes played | 69 mins | 85 mins |
| Goals / Assists | 0 / 0 | 0 / 0 |
| Shots (on target) | 1 (1) | 4 (1) |
| Dribbles (successful) | 5 (3) | 2 (1) |
| Passing accuracy | 92% | 81% |
| Final Sofascore rating | 7.0 | 6.5 |
Gakpo did himself no favours with his quiet showing, as Nguhoma surely stands a great chance at taking up his usual position on the pitch against Liverpool’s upcoming relegation-threatened opponents.
Slot does have a lot of selection headaches to wrestle with, ahead of the North London outfit travelling to Merseyside, with the 17-year-old desperate to win himself another start, at his hot-and-cold teammate’s expense.
