11 games into Andoni Iraola’s tenure as Liverpool manager, the Spaniard has only suffered one defeat – but such a record simply doesn’t tell the whole story.
His only defeat came against Manchester City earlier this month, but it feels as though the Reds are still in a transitional period after the 44-year-old’s appointment.
A run of five wins in the last six games has seen the club sit 5th in the Premier League and 3rd in the Champions League – with the side boasting a 100% record in the latter of the two competitions.
One player has been pivotal to their efforts over the last couple of weeks and is now starting to become one of the club’s most influential players under Iraola.
Why Ngumoha is becoming undroppable under Iraola
Very few people around Liverpool would have believed you 18 months ago had you predicted that an 18-year-old talent would be one of the club’s most influential talents.
However, Rio Ngumoha has developed into exactly that over the last couple of months and has become arguably one of the first names on Iraola’s team sheet in recent weeks.
The teenager started the 4-2 Champions League win over Villarreal on Tuesday night and managed to register two assists for the likes of Ronald Araujo and Alexis Mac Allister.
His constant direct nature saw the youngster complete a staggering tally of nine dribbles during the victory, with such a tally being the highest of any player who featured in the encounter.
Even in the Premier League, Ngumoha has provided a constant threat in recent weeks, with the England international managing to beat the opposition with 71% of his dribble attempts.
|
Most dribbles per 90 in the PL (2026/27) |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Rank |
Player |
Successful dribbles per 90 |
|
1 |
Sávio |
4.9 |
|
2 |
Mohammed Kudus |
4.6 |
|
3 |
Jérémy Doku |
4.3 |
|
4 |
Mikel Merino |
4.2 |
|
5 |
Abdul Fatawu |
3.6 |
|
6 |
Mathys Tel |
3.4 |
|
7 |
César Palacios |
3.1 |
|
8 |
Ryan Sessegnon |
3.0 |
|
9 |
Rio Ngumoha |
2.9 |
The aforementioned success rate is higher than 93% of other attackers in the division, which highlights the constant threat he would hand to Iraola should he be a regular starter.
His relentless presence within forward areas has seen the opposition troubled on a continued basis, with the forward winning 2.4 fouls per 90 – also placing him in the top 10% of players in the division.
How Liverpool have already signed the next Ngumoha
Given his tender age, it’s likely that Ngumoha will be a key first team member at Anfield for the next decade, but he will need other talents around him to help lead the Reds closer to sustained success.
The club’s academy system will no doubt have talented players within it, but as seen with Ngumoha, time will be needed if they are to be successful in the senior ranks.
Trey Nyoni is the current example of a player who has had to bide his time, but he’s certainly reaping the rewards this term, as seen by his tally of three starts in all competitions this term.
However, the hierarchy have also been recruiting players from abroad to try and bolster the youth ranks, as seen with the £750k deal to sign attacking midfielder Samuel Martinez from Atletico Nacional.
The 17-year-old star has agreed to join the Reds in April upon turning 18, and will likely link up with the academy setup before making an impact in the senior ranks.
The likes of Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund and Atletico Madrid were all keen on securing his signature, but the player himself had his heart set on a move to Liverpool.
Given his tender age, expectations will need to be managed in the years ahead, but the goal must be for the Colombian to star in the first-team with Ngumoha in the near future.
His stats from recent months certainly make for excellent reading and demonstrate how much of a talented player the hierarchy have signed for the future.
He may be just 17, but Martinez has already been a consistent figure for Colombia at youth level – with his stats at the U17 CONMEBOL showcasing his incredible attacking quality.
Martinez completed a staggering 7.3 successful dribbles per 90 at a success rate of 63% – subsequently highlighting his ability to progress the ball into dangerous areas.
He also averaged 3.3 progressive passes per 90 at such a tournament – with the aforementioned figures potentially making him the perfect player to star alongside Ngumoha at Anfield.
Although supporters will have to wait at least seven months to see the attacker in action for Liverpool, the wait will be worth it should Martinez match the hype he’s arriving with.
His skill set makes him the perfect number ten in the modern game, and his talent could allow the likes of Ngumoha to fulfil his own potential on Merseyside in the near future.
