Jürgen Klopp has just unveiled a secret new Liverpool midfielder in response to Roberto Firmino's calls.

Jürgen Klopp has just unveiled a secret new Liverpool midfielder in response to Roberto Firmino’s calls.

Liverpool boss Jürgen Klopp tried something new with Roberto Firmino against Brentford, as his new Anfield system continues to grow.

Cody Gakpo has spent the majority of his time at Liverpool as a center-forward, having previously played as a left winger at PSV.

However, when the teamsheet for the Reds’ match against Brentford on Saturday evening was released, it appeared that Jürgen Klopp had used him in a different position.

With four strikers on the field, Gakpo appeared to be playing as a number 10 in front of Curtis Jones, Fabinho, and new midfielder Trent Alexander-Arnold.

The Dutchman would then be flanked by Mohamed Salah and Diogo Jota, with Darwin Nez leading the line. When Liverpool had the ball, it would be a 3-3-1-3 formation.

However, as the game progressed, it became evident that Gakpo was not playing as a number 10, and that Klopp had initiated a different evolution of his new Liverpool style.

Take a look at the average position map below, courtesy of Sofascore. You can see that, while the number 18 is stationed ahead of Fabinho and Alexander-Arnold, he is really less advanced than Jones.

Instead of taking up a center position, he’s moved to the right, virtually in line with Salah’s winger.

Looking at the heat maps, it appears like Gakpo and Jones are playing very similar roles, albeit on opposite sides of the pitch.

This may be interpreted as a 3-4-3 with Gakpo and Jones flanking Alexander-Arnold and Fabinho, or as a 3-2-2-3 with the duo switching between midfield and attack.

It’s difficult to pinpoint his exact role, although he appeared to be in between a right-sided number eight and a right midfielder. Klopp and his coaching staff clearly value his tactical intelligence; otherwise, they would not have assigned him to play in an unfamiliar, demanding role in a must-win game.

It may not be a job that a natural attacker like Gakpo enjoys. He nearly quadrupled his defensive third touch average here (five versus 2.5), while his final-third involvement nearly halved, falling from 18.9 touches to just 11.

Still, there will be times when he can contribute to the attack; after all, he had two great chances to score here. He couldn’t covert Jota’s cross due to its unusual height and speed, but he should have punished Aaron Hickey after pouncing on his inaccurate header late in the game.

Given the range of his skill set, several Liverpool fans have suggested Roberto Firmino as a viable midfield option throughout his tenure at the club. But, with his departure in just a few weeks, those calls have gone unanswered.

Gakpo, the player being groomed to be the Brazilian’s replacement, has already been tested as a number eight.

So, perhaps, in this late-season period of experimentation, Klopp has gone to his forward ranks for a’secret’ midfield addition ahead of the expected renovation this summer.