Gakpo's impressive display comes after a tough summer for the Liverpool forward, who saw the collapse of a transfer to Manchester City. The Dutchman's second son died during pregnancy in June, but he has refused to let the setbacks affect his game. Gakpo has scored in Liverpool's opening-weekend draw against Newcastle and in their Carabao Cup win over Spurs, and has also recorded five assists.
Gakpo's comments on the summer's events suggest that he has chosen to focus on his football and not worry about the situation. "If I have no control over the situation, I will not worry," he said. His national team captain and Anfield teammate, Virgil van Dijk, has praised Gakpo's performance, saying that he "could do much better than I did last year" in a disappointing season for Liverpool.
The Netherlands' 1-1 draw against Germany continues a bright start to the season for Gakpo, who was an £80m target for City in August before talks stalled.