Rio Ngumoha did not score or assist, but he still shone on his first Premier League start for Liverpool vs Tottenham.
Prior to the match, Jamie Carragher admitted his ‘shock’ at Ngumoha starting while the likes of Mohamed Salah were on the bench.
But it was a good call from Slot, with Rio managing a staggering seven completed dribbles before he was replaced by Hugo Ekitike – the joint-most of any Liverpool player in the Premier League this term alongside Florian Wirtz.
Who was Liverpool’s best player on another poor day at Anfield?
Not many to choose from…
Rio Ngumoha matches Florian Wirtz for Premier League take-ons
After just 45 minutes of action, the teenager has managed to complete six of his attempted six take-ons against Spurs.
By the time he came off in the 62nd minute, that total had risen to seven.
Only Wirtz, against Wolverhampton Wanderers, has managed to complete as many take-ons in a single Premier League game this season.
It was a true joy to watch the Englishman in action, with Carragher highlighting how big a threat he was while commentating on the game for Sky Sports.
He said: “It looks really difficult to stop this lad on his right foot when he comes inside because he looks so sharp.”
In the end, Ngumoha did not provide a goal contribution, but he did end the tie with 0.23 xA.
He completed 28 out of his 31 attempted passes on the day, including his one attempted long ball.
Ngumoha had three total shots, one of which was on target and another was blocked.
With the ball at his feet is where the youngster really shone, though, completing all seven of his attempted seven dribbles and carrying the ball a total of 179.2 m.
Liverpool must now turn their attention towards the Champions League meeting with Galatasaray on Wednesday evening.
There were calls for Ngumoha to feature in the reverse leg, but Slot opted to leave him on the bench, which did not work out.
It remains to be seen if the former Chelsea gem will be called upon next week with Liverpool now chasing the tie.
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