The game that showed why Liverpool's left wing may be changing

Arne Slot didn't make much change in his Liverpool lineup in the first few weeks of the season, to the extent that he was asked several times about rotation and minute management and had to explain why that wasn't necessary, at least at Feyenoord.

A few months after he took office, it appears that there was certainly more variety in the middle of the week. Champions League and Carabao Cup games provided an opportunity to marginalize first-team players, and one or two of them – most notably Curtis Jones – had been just spectators and standing at the start of the season now much more regularly in the starting eleven for games.

But in an entertaining if otherwise probably unremarkable fourth-round League Cup game at Brighton and Hove Albion, Slot perhaps hinted – and more importantly, was shown the reasons why – that there could now be the most significant early change to his team in the coming weeks.

It showed in minutes and in production, in impact and, to be honest, in repetition of what had perhaps been seen for several games.

Namely across the entire left wing, where Andy Robertson and Luis Diaz were previously the regular players. Both can now change.

In attack it seems to be a more routine and predictable change. With five minutes left, Diaz may have scored the decisive goal when he hit the near post, but his performance and recent form had long since been overshadowed by Cody Gakpo.

The Dutchman was Liverpool's catalyst in a strikerless system – Dominik Szoboszlai was nominally top but wasn't really – and to his hard-working, adventurous and pacey performance he added two stunning strikes to open the scoring. The first, a classic cut-in-and-rocket, hit the top corner of Jason Steele's goal. The second was a more determined and relentless player, pushing himself close to the post while others to his right barked for the ball – but having just missed a three-on-one chance, Gakpo was not in that mood forego another.

Of course, Diaz's work performance and late strike serve as a reminder of his value. And he started the season in excellent form. But that's what Liverpool – or any team – needs to challenge on all fronts: more than just three starting-caliber strikers, each challenging the other to be in form and in favor.

At the moment, Gakpo seems unbeatable and for a striker who has yet to show consistent consistency, making the most of these periods of form is crucial. If his goals didn't mean he would face Brighton again in a Premier League game at Anfield at the weekend, perhaps it would be his replacement. In these partial rotation games, Slot has tended to pick those who could start next time out, so 90 minutes for Diaz and 20 minutes less for the Dutchman is an indication of what lies ahead, even if his manager insists he is already in the starting lineup regardless.

“For me he is a regular player, not in every game, but regularly,” he said after the game. “And he is in tough competition with Lucho Diaz. When you play at a club like Liverpool, it's normal to have two good players in most positions.

“Cody was, in my opinion, not just now, but in the second half of last season he scored a lot of goals – he was a good player for Liverpool for a long time.” However, Gakpo says that's what Gakpo hopes is changing.

Behind him as a left-back the task is more difficult.

Robertson was Liverpool's captain on the night but his form has been sluggish of late, having struggled with pace in more than one game recently, as Bukayo Saka so ably demonstrated. This evening it was the turn of Brajan Gruda and then Simon Adingra. Both surpassed the Scot in terms of speed and agility, but he also saved a goal late on with a free-kick at the far post.

While few will call for Robertson to be dropped unceremoniously, signs are mounting that Kostas Tsimikas could be in a better moment. There is also an argument to be made that Joe Gomez could be turned to, who is a centre-back here but excelled in the position last year, particularly providing the right-footed option against attackers who like to run inside.

If Liverpool stays in the cup after this win, there will be even more chances for rotation and of course the hunt for the cup.

Gakpo's goals and the crazy final ten minutes, in which Simon Adingra, Diaz and Tariq Lamptey all celebrated, came long after the first ten minutes, which looked like an exercise in which the substitute goalkeeper could risk the most to keep the ball and sending opposing strikers the wrong way with tight turns and delicate touches.

Viteszlav Jaros provided a memorable moment with an amazing fingertip save past Adingra's post, but a good debut from the Reds' third goalkeeper will not see him move past Caoimhin Kelleher, let alone into Slot's starting XI. Things might look different at left-back and on the left wing.