While Liverpool may have to wait another week to get their hands on the Premier League trophy, Arsenal’s thrashing of Ipswich Town on Sunday afternoon served only to delay the inevitable.
Arne Slot’s Liverpool would have been crowned champions with a victory at Leicester City, provided Arsenal slipped up earlier in the day at Portman Road.
As it was, as Trent Alexander-Arnold tore off his shirt in celebration at the King Power, the departing right-back merely maintained The Reds’ 13 point advantage at the summit.
Maybe for the best.
With Tottenham Hotspur to come at Anfield next time out, securing the title on home soil – up against a team Liverpool have spent much of the last decade battling against at the top end of the table – would perhaps make for a more satisfying conclusion.
The prospect of going into the final four games with the title already secured, meanwhile, has many a Liverpool supporter hoping to see the odd dash of experimentation in Slot’s future team selections.
Could the former Feyenoord boss seize the opportunity to try out some of the club’s rising stars? Could there be gametime for the likes of Tyler Morton, Trey Nyoni, James McConnell and perhaps Rio Ngumoha too?
Liverpool fans very impressed as Rio Ngumoha hits first Premier League 2 brace
As Darwin Nunez and Luis Diaz potentially head to Saudi Arabia – Fabrizio Romano believes the former is guaranteed to go while the latter may not be too far behind – England Under-17 international Ngumoha may be one of those, like Conor Bradley post-Alexander-Arnold, hoping to climb the ladder in the coming months.
While obviously nowhere near as established as Bradley at this stage, the 16-year-old teen sensation is held in extremely high regard.
Rio Ngumoha was singled out by Arne Slot back in January, handed a senior debut in the 4-0 FA Cup thrashing of Accrington Stanley.
Now a regular in the club’s Premier League 2 set-up – he was promoted from the Under-18s at the turn of the year – Nguhoma hit a first brace at Under-23 level during the weekend’s 2-2 draw with Aston Villa.
It is not only Slot, meanwhile, who can envisage a very bright future in Liverpool red.
“This kid would be the real deal and I can already see him getting more involved next term,” one fan wrote on X after watching Ngumoha stylishly convert two chances with either foot.
“He shoots so well,” another adds.
“Future superstar.”
“If we already win the league, then he needs to get some minutes,” one fan argues.
“Great to see him finishing more. Good finishes from him, a promising player for sure.
“Perfect backup for next season.”
“Baller. He can go either foot. Class.”
One Liverpool supporter labels Ngumoha a potential ‘Mo Salah replacement’
While still only 16 – he doesn’t turn 17 until August – there is a sense that Ngumoha is making progress not only with his ball-striking but also the physical side of the game.
That will come with age, of course. In the meantime, the Liverpool bosses have been impressed already by the maturity which could stand him out above many others in the age bracket.
“He already looks like he’s starting to fill out his frame and bulking up,” another eagle-eyed supporter says.
“This kid is different. Needs to be ushered into the first-team fast. I really think he could be [Mo] Salah’s replacement, star power-wise.”
“Wow, he looks comfortable with both feet and he can go both sides as well. Will be interesting to watch him in pre-season.
“Hopefully get to see more of him next season in the first-team.”
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