Liverpool fielded a strong line-up against Sparta Prague on Thursday night, with a few eyebrows raised given Jurgen Klopp's side headed into the contest with a sizeable advantage after winning 5-1 in the first leg in the Czech Republic.
Still, a 6-1 drubbing over the hapless visitors issued an ominous statement of intent for Liverpool's Europa League opponents, with the Reds the clear bookmakers' favourites to secure the one major trophy that has evaded Klopp's tenure.
A dominant showing saw two goals from Cody Gakpo and more from Darwin Nunez, Mohamed Salah, Dominik Szoboszlai and Bobby Clark ending infinitesimal Czech hopes of a comeback with an unrelenting opening.
Liverpool now prepare for a trip to Old Trafford to face Manchester United in the FA Cup on Sunday, and while many supporters would have wished for greater rotation, further starts for the teenage talents that have been so impressive in recent weeks, this exercise in sharpness and fluency was clearly performed with sights set on prevailing against Erik ten Hag's side.
Some almost certain to start at the weekend were left out, with Virgil van Dijk introduced for the final half-hour and Luis Diaz and Alexis Mac Allister unused substitutes.
Mac Allister will partner up with Wataru Endo and Dominik Szoboszlai in the engine room in what means Clark must return to the bench, but what a breakthrough the dynamic midfielder has forged over recent fixtures.
Bobby Clark's game vs Sparta Prague in numbers
Liverpool's injury-hit squad has called upon the teenage ranks of late and they have certainly stepped up to the plate. Jarell Quansah and Conor Bradley were the seasonal trailblazers but Clark has since followed and cemented himself at the forefront of the academy hopefuls.
On Thursday night, the 19-year-old bagged a goal – his first as a professional – and assist apiece and received praise from reporter Keifer MacDonald for his "flawless" display, demonstrating his value in Klopp's first team once again.
The performance now takes Clark up to 11 senior appearances for the Reds in 2023/24 and there's more than a slight sense that there is so much still to come from this talented teenager, who joined from Newcastle United as a 16-year-old back in 2021.
Minutes played
73'
Goals
1
Assists
1
Touches
64
Accurate passes
49/53 (92%)
Key passes
1
Duels won
4/5
While Clark grows with each passing game, a poor performance on Thursday night would have done little to dissuade Liverpool in their plan for the player, fashioned into an all-action midfielder after spending his early years further forward, out wide or as the ten.
More important was Gakpo's game, with the Dutch attacker struggling to perform across recent weeks as Darwin Nunez and Luis Diaz, conversely, have achieved their finest form of the season.
Cody Gakpo's performance vs Sparta Prague
Gakpo started on the left wing against Sparta Prague but he roamed around the field and impressed with his dynamism and crispness, complementing his brace with 43 accurate passes from 46 attempts, making one key pass and taking 64 touches in total, as per Sofascore.
He did win just one of his nine contested duels on the evening, but this does not negate a promising performance and a return to goalscoring form, taking his 2023/24 tally to 13 goals from 41 appearances, with five assists too.
Writing in his post-match player ratings, the Liverpool Echo's Ian Doyle handed Gakpo an 8/10 score after his striking success, stating: 'Confidence-boosting showing down the left flank and did well to tuck away the fourth goal and clever flick for the sixth. Denied hat-trick by one wayward finish and a good save.'
Nunez opened the scoring in what has been a remarkable polishing, sharpening, of raw qualities over recent months and with Salah, who bagged a goal and supplied a hat-trick of assists, immovable in Klopp's frontline, Gakpo faces a fight to cement a regular starting berth.
Nonetheless, he has been good this season and it's easy to forget that he has been a victim of his own versatility, playing six or more fixtures across four different positions, including central midfield.
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He remains a valuable member of the squad but there's no question that he was in need of a boost, and his two-goal haul over Železná Sparta has proved that he is capable of overcoming bumps in the road.
Cody Gakpo's season in numbers
Gakpo, aged 24, joined Liverpool in testing condition over 14 months ago, signing from PSV Eindhoven for £35m in January 2023 after an impressive World Cup with the Netherlands, though he arrived at an Anfield side in crisis and struggled to make an impact initially.
That said, he's looked far more promising during his first full campaign and has been utilised across a wealth of different positions to plug gaps and aid Liverpool's fight for silverware across every front – a conquest yet to unravel across any one competition.
Premier League
26
12
5
3
Europa League
6
5
4
2
Carabao Cup
6
5
4
0
FA Cup
3
3
0
0
His total return is decent but his Premier League term is slightly modest, though just 12 of his 26 fixtures in the top-flight have come from the outset, regularly featuring in different roles.
He's played up front with the greatest regularity, and as per FBref, the £120k-per-week ace ranks among the top 20% of forwards across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for assists, the top 9% for pass completion, the top 5% for progressive passes, the top 17% for shot-creating actions, progressive carries and successful take-ons, the top 4% for tackles and the top 9% for interceptions per 90.
This noteworthy spread of metrics highlights Gakpo's protean footballing ability and also the elite technical skills that make him such an underrated member of the squad.
Admittedly, he hasn't been perfect this season but perhaps his influence goes under the radar sometimes; perhaps his skill set brings the best out of his teammates, making intelligent runs and flicking clever touches and crafting impactful passes.
Gakpo will hold himself accountable for some questionable recent form but he stepped up with a starring display against Sparta Prague and has reaffirmed his importance for Klopp as he chases down further silverware in his final season at Liverpool.
