InterviewCody Gakpo: Premier League title is a dream - it's up to us to make it happen
A footballing dream is within Cody Gakpo’s reach – and the Liverpool forward has tunnel focus on helping to make it happen on Sunday.
The Reds are now a single point away from securing what the Dutchman describes as ‘an amazing achievement’: the Premier League title.
Arne Slot’s men host Tottenham Hotspur at Anfield knowing a draw or victory will clinch the 20th championship success in club history.
After an entire season of hard work and consistency, Gakpo and his teammates are aware there is a last hurdle to leap and would love to do it in front of their own fans.
“This is the moment we all worked so hard for the whole year,” the No.18 told Liverpoolfc.com during a pre-match interview at the AXA Training Centre.
“Obviously we lost the [Carabao Cup] final, we were out of the FA Cup, we got knocked out of the Champions League as well. They were moments where we were maybe not as good as we wanted to be.
“But if we can win it at the weekend it’s an amazing season for all of us and something we can really build on in the future.”
Gakpo continued: “When you start football and you get knowledge about the leagues in Europe, I think everybody can agree that the Premier League is one of if not the best league in Europe and the world.
“To become hopefully a Premier League winner is every footballer’s dream at some point in life. That would be an amazing achievement.”
Liverpool have held a commanding advantage at the top of the division for several months now.
But as expectancy around their title challenge has grown over time, Slot and the squad have refused to budge from a singular mentality of ‘the job is not done’.
And Gakpo pledged that remains the thought process this weekend.
“That’s the approach of the manager, how he approaches every game,” he said. “That’s how we as a team speak to each other and live together: ‘It’s not done until it’s over.’
“That will be the mindset in this game again and then hopefully we win it and then it is over. Let’s go out there and give it our best.”
On the difficulty he anticipates against a Tottenham side the Reds will be facing for a fourth time in 2024-25, Gakpo added: “Maybe they don’t have the best Premier League season they have had over the years, but everybody knows they have so much quality in the team and a lot of good players.
“It’s not a game that you say, ‘We will win that or we’ll get a draw for sure.’ No. That’s with every team in the league. Everybody knows how hard it can be, it doesn’t really matter who you play.
“But it’s up to us. We have to get in there and put in a good performance.”
On a personal level, Gakpo’s season has yielded 16 goals and five assists for the Netherlands international in 44 appearances from a predominantly left-sided attacking role under Slot.
Assessing his second full campaign as a Reds player as it draws towards an end, Gakpo is pleased with the advancements he feels he has made.
The 25-year-old said: “I think it’s been a good season for everybody in the team actually.
“Myself, I also developed a lot. Like we discussed a few times already, I changed position slightly, got some goals. Unfortunately got injured as well, which took a bit off.
“I think overall it’s a good season but it’s not finished yet, hopefully we can end on a big high all together.”
