Cody Gakpo says Liverpool were better in second half despite the Chelsea defeat

Liverpool forward Cody Gakpo believes his side outperformed Chelsea in the second half despite falling to a 2-1 defeat at Stamford Bridge.

The Reds came into the game looking to bounce back after consecutive defeats, but were soon under pressure as Chelsea dominated the early exchanges.

The Blues took the lead in the 14th minute through a thunderous strike from Moises Caicedo, putting Liverpool on the back foot for much of the opening period.

The Dutchman eventually levelled the score in the 63rd minute, giving the visitors a lifeline. However, those hopes were dashed deep into stoppage time when Estevao Willan scored the winner for Chelsea in the 95th minute, leaving Liverpool frustrated once again.

Gakpo on Liverpool’s performance

Speaking to Sky Sports after the game, Gakpo expressed his disappointment but insisted that Liverpool showed real improvement after half-time.

“We played better than them in the second half. But they’re very dangerous on the counter attack. To concede last minute is hard to take.”

“We couldn’t keep the momentum – we have to analyse how or why. Somehow we lost it a little bit and they pushed us back.”

He also reflected on the team’s current form, insisting they must keep fighting despite recent setbacks.

“I don’t want to say we’re low on confidence, but things right now aren’t falling our way. But this is part of football. We have to keep on fighting because we know the quality we have.”

“When you play at a club this big, losing three in a row is not good enough. We know that as players. We’ll analyse and try to do our best again.”

Looking ahead

Liverpool now head into the international break sitting second in the league, one point behind Arsenal.

Arne Slot’s men will aim to regroup and return stronger when they host Manchester United at Anfield after the break.