Former Liverpool striker Michael Owen has expressed his sympathy for new signing Cody Gakpo.
The 23-year-old started his second Premier League game for Liverpool this afternoon in an early opening clash with Chelsea at Anfield.
The match was very close and both sides came close to opening the scoring, but ultimately failed in their quest for a win. The three points were absolutely crucial to both teams’ hopes of finishing in the top four, although in the end, they had to settle for one each.
Gakpo was a particular figure who struggled to be clinical in front of the goal; he fired seven shots, the most by any player, and only one forced a save from Kepa Arrizabalaga. The Dutchman is yet to score his first goal in red despite having a prolific start to the season with PSV, in which he scored 13 goals and provided 17 assists.
more stories / Last News
Michael Owen sympathizes with Gakpo
However, Owen has backed the £40m new arrival amid criticism of his performance today. He told Premier League Productions: “I actually feel sorry for him because he is coming into a team that is really inconsistent and lacking all the confidence that we have seen in the past.
“He had a couple of half chances today [against Chelsea] and it is clear that he is trying. I am sure that he is going to be a good signing for the future, but for the moment, I would challenge even Lionel Messi to come in and look good in this team because he is really fighting.”
