The glimmers of partnership building between Florian Wirtz and Cody Gakpo, both favoring the left side and showing occasional understanding, offer hope that Liverpool can develop the attacking connections they desperately need. While still embryonic, this partnership shows more promise than other attacking combinations currently available.
Partnerships develop through shared space, repeated interactions, and gradually building understanding of each other’s movements and preferences. Wirtz and Gakpo’s tendency to occupy similar left-sided areas creates opportunities for frequent interaction, accelerating partnership development compared to players who rarely encounter each other during matches.
Against West Ham, their combination contributed to Alexander Isak’s goal through quick exchanges and intelligent positioning. These moments, while infrequent, demonstrated potential that doesn’t yet exist in other Liverpool attacking partnerships. As familiarity increases, such moments should become more frequent and productive.
The partnership also makes tactical sense. Wirtz’s creativity and passing ability complement Gakpo’s movement and finishing. Their spatial proximity allows quick combinations that bypass defensive pressure. If developed fully, this left-sided axis could become Liverpool’s primary creative outlet.
However, challenges remain. Both players favoring the left can create tactical imbalances, leaving other areas under-populated. Their partnership needs refining to maximize benefits while minimizing compromises to team shape. Additionally, both players must improve individual consistency before partnership quality truly matters.
For Liverpool supporters frustrated by lack of attacking fluency, the Wirtz-Gakpo partnership offers genuine hope. Unlike forced combinations that never seem likely to work, this partnership has foundations suggesting it could develop into something genuinely productive. The glimmers seen against West Ham must be nurtured, refined, and given time to develop. If successful, Liverpool will have the attacking axis they need; if not, alternative solutions must be found.