Why Ngumoha Deserves More Minutes After His Impact Against Forest

Liverpool may have left the City Ground with three crucial points, but the performance raised fresh questions about their attacking options.

For 77 minutes, the Reds looked blunt. Mohamed Salah and Cody Gakpo struggled to impose themselves on the game, with Liverpool managing very little threat in the final third. The movement was predictable, the tempo slow, and Nottingham Forest looked comfortable.

Then Rio Ngumoha stepped onto the pitch.

In just 13 minutes, the youngster injected something Liverpool had been missing all afternoon: urgency.

He drove directly at defenders.

He looked fearless in possession.

He delivered dangerous balls into the box.

It was Ngumoha’s energy down the right that helped spark the chaos leading to Alexis Mac Allister’s disallowed goal — a moment that suddenly shifted the atmosphere of the game.

This is not about disrespecting established stars. Salah’s quality over the years speaks for itself, and Gakpo remains an important squad option. But form matters. Impact matters.

And right now, Liverpool’s attacking department looks worryingly thin.

With limited striking alternatives available to Arne Slot, Ngumoha’s cameo served as a reminder that hunger and directness can change matches. Sometimes youthful fearlessness offers more than experience weighed down by expectation.

Liverpool found their winner deep into added time. But if Slot is serious about rewarding performance over reputation, Ngumoha may have just given him something to think about.

Because in 13 minutes, he did more to unsettle Forest than Liverpool’s starting forwards managed in over an hour.

Jamie (The Kopite View)