There was always going to be discussion around fresh ideas after the Nottingham Forest defeat, and one name emerging from the analysis has placed the spotlight firmly on a 17-year-old who continues to offer moments of encouragement.
Writing on X, journalist Bence Bocsak noted that “In just 12 minutes on the pitch Rio Ngumoha completed 3 dribbles (100% completion) which was more than Cody Gakpo (2) yesterday… he also created a chance, won 3/4 duels and made 2 recoveries.”
For the teenager to produce that level of influence in such a difficult environment says everything about his confidence and approach, especially given the circumstances of his introduction with the game already lost.
Ngumoha came on for Curtis Jones and immediately carried the ball with an authority that belied his age.
His Sofascore numbers from the Forest match underline that impact.
Rio Ngumoha vs Nottingham Forest (Premier League)
| Metric | Value |
| Minutes | 12 |
| Dribbles (succ.) | 3 (3) |
| Touches | 14 |
| Key passes | 1 |
| Recoveries | 2 |
| Duels won | 3/4 |
| Pass accuracy | 71% |
Liverpool may need Ngumoha as attacking issues continue this season
With results deteriorating, the idea of granting the youngster greater minutes no longer feels drastic.
His brief league outings have been consistently sharp and the wider sample shows why he may now be pushing for a start.
Ngumoha – Premier League 2025/26 (via Sofascore)
| Metric | Value |
| Apps | 5 |
| Starts | 0 |
| Minutes | 66 |
| Goals | 1 |
| xG | 0.36 |
| Dribbles per game | 0.8 (67%) |
| Pass accuracy | 89% |
The clarity in his decision-making is becoming a pattern, and it echoes what he showed on international duty this week, where Ngumoha recorded an assist against Lithuania and then scored against Latvia for England U19s.
Ngumoha has shown promise before after terrifying Palace defence
This is not the first time he has injected energy into us.
During his last start, the league cup defeat to Crystal Palace, the teenager “had Palace terrified… constantly running at them and causing problems,” according to one live report, which also highlighted his ability to drag defenders out of shape.
Arne Slot has not rushed his development, but given the lack of incision across recent games, the case for handing the No.73 more meaningful minutes is becoming increasingly compelling.
He remains raw, and nobody expects him to fix everything, but with our attack lacking spark, the numbers suggest Ngumoha is doing more than enough to be considered part of the solution.
You can view the Ngumoha’s post via @BenBocsak on X:
🏴 In just 12 minutes on the pitch Rio Ngumoha completed 3 dribbles (100% completion) which was more than Cody Gakpo (2) yesterday.
Difficult way for Rio to come into that game.
He also created a chance, won 3/4 duels and made 2 recoveries.
Thought he left a positive mark. pic.twitter.com/vVKo8xJiLS
— Bence Bocsák (@BenBocsak) November 23, 2025
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Ah, the spirit of innocence.
Another childish clueless comment from someone who knows nothing about football. Ah the spirit of the clueless.
It’s now becoming a recurring theme this season, we ship goals, especially from set pieces, we play midfielders at right back, we chase the game, take konate off, put another midfielder in the defence, and play 4 attacking players and bring on Chiesa and Rio when the game is already lost. This is slots plan b. Defensively we are totally inept, that’s down to the coaching from the manager and the coaching staff, players out of position without the ball, at set pieces not winning the second balls. Why keep making the same basic mistakes over and over. Try something different, a new system, pack the midfield, play two defensive midfielder’s to protect the defence, play three central defenders. What we are seeing is a manager out of his depth, just like Eric ten hag was at Manchester United. Slot will be sacked before Christmas, FSG need to pick the right manager next time, or we’ll sink into oblivion.
Gakpo is not a replacement for Diaz. Last year, both of them rotates for different games and opponents. Gakpo is more direct and predictable whereas Diaz is full of tricks and he presses like a hyena. Ngumoha is more like Diaz. I don’t know if we can rely on a 17 year old for the entire season. We don’t know if his body can withstand the physical stress and if he might get injured. I remember a young Michael owen getting injured by utilizing his pace too much.