Liverpool supporters have slammed a key player who seemed to stand apart from the rest during the Community Shield match against Palace.

Arne Slot’s Liverpool began their 2025/26 season on a disappointing note, losing to Crystal Palace in the Community Shield on Sunday. Despite goals from new summer signings Hugo Ekitike and Jeremie Frimpong, Reds fans were unimpressed with the performance of one particular player at Wembley.

Florian Wirtz, along with Ekitike and Frimpong, showed promise as they prepare for their Premier League debuts, with Liverpool set to face Bournemouth at Anfield on Friday. However, it was a tough outing for the Reds in the capital.

Crystal Palace’s Jean-Philippe Mateta calmly converted a penalty, and Ismaila Sarr scored to help Oliver Glasner’s team, while Justin Devenny’s decisive penalty ensured Palace lifted the trophy. Liverpool supporters have been vocal about who they see as the weakest link in the squad.

Ekitike’s relaxed style, Wirtz’s playmaking, and Frimpong’s relentless energy were praised, but Cody Gakpo, who started on the left wing, drew criticism for his underwhelming display.

The Dutch winger himself would admit he didn’t have his best game against Palace, reflected in his stats. He had 43 touches, only four inside the box, and rarely troubled Palace’s defense. His passing accuracy was just 80% (20/25), and he won only one of five ground duels.

Earlier this summer, Bayern Munich, managed by Vincent Kompany, reportedly showed interest in signing Gakpo, who has made 128 appearances for Liverpool since joining from PSV Eindhoven in 2023.

Fans, as hinted, were far from pleased with the 1999-born winger’s display. One supporter on X (formerly Twitter) wrote, “Gakpo is killing the fluidity of the team and slowing everything down,” while another urged, “Gakpo has to speed things up and make decisions quicker.”

Comparing him to new striker Ekitike—who impressed drifting wide left—another fan criticized Gakpo’s one-on-one ability as poor to watch, saying: “Man, Ekitike is already better 1v1 than Gakpo and he’s not even a proper left winger.”

Despite managing a goal contribution, Gakpo’s performance frustrated many. One fan said, “Gakpo would end up with G/A somehow but this guy is so frustrating, man,” while another labeled him, “visibly the worst person on our team.” For some, he stood out negatively: “Gakpo is the odd one out in this Liverpool team,” they claimed.