Arne Slot praises ‘unique’ Rio Ngumoha following Liverpool’s victory over Wolves.
WOLVERHAMPTON, England — Liverpool manager Arne Slot has lauded “special” Rio Ngumoha after the young player made a significant impact in his team’s 3-1 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers on Friday.
The 17-year-old participated for 69 minutes in Liverpool’s FA Cup fifth-round match at Molineux Stadium, forcing an early save from Sam Johnstone and consistently troubling the Wolves defense.
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Although he did not score, the forward’s performance is likely to amplify calls for him to receive more regular playing time, especially as Cody Gakpo and Mohamed Salah have been experiencing difficulties with their form this season.
Ngumoha was making only his fourth start and 18th appearance across all competitions this season.
Commenting on Ngumoha’s performance, Slot stated to BBC Sport: “Special because if you’re 17 years old, and you can impact two Premier League sides facing each other, then that tells you how good of a player he is.”
“But it is up to him to bring this every time. This should give him a lot of confidence to show this in an away game.”
Second-half goals from Andy Robertson, Salah, and Curtis Jones ensured the victory for Liverpool in the West Midlands, while Hwang Hee-Chan scored a late consolation for Wolves. This win provides a much-needed boost for Slot’s team, who will head to Istanbul to face Galatasaray in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 matchup on Tuesday.
“We created more than we did in the last game and that is the reason we could win it today,” Slot remarked. “Every three days I have a different feeling. Three days ago my feeling was completely different to now. Good to be in the quarterfinals of the FA Cup. In three, four days away, another big game in Istanbul.”
Defender Robertson’s only other goal this season came in September when Liverpool triumphed over Atlético Madrid in the Champions League. His prominent role in Friday’s victory was a welcome change after Wolves had defeated Liverpool 2-1 in the Premier League just three days prior.
“[That was a] bit more like it,” Robertson told the BBC. “We know we let ourselves down on Tuesday … it was up to us to go and put it right. The FA Cup is do or die.”
Liverpool are the first team to secure their spot in the FA Cup quarterfinals, which will occur on the first weekend in April. The remaining seven teams will be determined in matches scheduled over the next few days.
“We are trying to fight on all fronts,” Robertson stated. “We are still in two cup competitions. If we play like we did tonight, then nobody wants to play against us. We have to start showing that consistency. It is one step forward and two steps back.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
