A rictus of a grin contorted Trent Alexander-Arnold’s face. Before half time, the influential Liverpool star had struck the bar with a venomous strike after waves of Arsenal pressure at the Emirates Stadium in the FA Cup.

Liverpool rode their luck and Jurgen Klopp probably inwardly tipped his cap to the hosts’ profligacy, but this group of players, resilient and tenacious and together, held firm to turn the tide in the closing stages and advance to the fourth round with a 2-0 win.

Luis Diaz, under fire of late for a dip in performance, has made improvements over recent games and will be delighted with his stunning strike at the death to confirm Arsenal’s demise, assisted by the Gunners’ personal scourge in Diogo Jota.

Prior, Alexander-Arnold – donning the captain’s armband with Virgil van Dijk ill – had whipped in a fierce free-kick that was fortuitously turned in by Arsenal defender Jakub Kiwior.

It was a hard-fought and noteworthy victory. However, not all caught the eye, with Cody Gakpo unable to spark the game into life and withdrawn before the hour mark.

Cody Gakpo’s performance in numbers vs Arsenal

Writing in his post-match ratings, 90min’s Grey Whitebloom was not impressed by the Dutchman’s endeavours and handed him an ignominious 2/10 score, writing: ‘Utterly ineffective throughout a painfully forgettable 59 minutes on the pitch.’

Harsh? Probably. But it’s true that Gakpo was not influencing proceedings as he might have hoped despite an adroit pivot to beat his man and instigate the phase that led to Alexander-Arnold’s bar-rattling strike.

The 24-year-old, who has been hailed for his “special skill set” by Reds assistant manager Pep Lijnders, has scored eight goals this season but remains a conflicting figure, enduring several lacklustre games.

Against Arsenal, as per Sofascore, Gakpo was indeed ineffective as he sort of played in flux from the No. 8 role and out on the right wing, withdrawn after 59 minutes having taken just 20 touches, which is even fewer than Arsenal goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale, who enjoyed a largely impressive night between the sticks but took the fewest touches (32) of any starting player, bar Gakpo.

While he completed 88% of his passes and made one key pass, his impactful moments were few and far between and Klopp will surely be considering whether to drop him for the forthcoming Carabao Cup tie against Fulham, with Jota impressive off the bench once again.

Of course, it’s not all doom and gloom for Gakpo, who scored an important late goal against Newcastle United on New Year’s Day during Liverpool’s emphatic Premier League victory over Newcastle United.

Moreover, he has actually scored in all three of his side’s Carabao Cup fixtures thus far and will be desperate to pardon his poor display in London with a confident performance over the Cottagers.

The £120k-per-week Gakpo remains an important member of Klopp’s squad and his versatility has impeded him in instances, but there is no denying that a trail of lacklustre displays litter the road of Liverpool’s campaign.

With Jota in fine form and Luis Diaz returning to his best, perhaps Gakpo should sit the next one out, and if his manager does decide to hand him a starting berth once again, he surely needs to play as centre-forward.