Siddharth Ganguly

What Really Happened Between Cody Gakpo and Jurrien Timber in Stoppage Time

Arsenal, Cody Gakpo, Jurrien Timber, Liverpool, Premier League

Yesterday’s top-of-the-table clash between Liverpool and Arsenal became heated as both teams tried to wrestle past the other in a match where neither dominated.

However, after right-back Dominik Szoboszlai, channeling his inner Trent Alexander-Arnold, edged Liverpool forward with a stylish free-kick in the 83rd minute, warning bells started to ring for the Gunners.

Arsenal dominated possession for much of the last quarter of the match, heading into extra time having over 80% of the ball, but failing to create any major chances or break the Liverpool defence led by Virgil Van Dijk.

You would anticipate that, while holding on to a narrow lead, most teams would do their best to waste time and catch their breath, with players taking just a few extra seconds before every kick, or walking a bit slower on the way to the bench during a late substitution, often at the cost of frustrating the opponent.

Every second counts when you are only a goal ahead in the dying minutes of a must-win game. However, around the 93rd-minute mark, Arsenal right back Jurrien Timber seemed to have some other ideas.

Cody Gakpo, the Liverpool winger who has been in fine form recently, was rushing toward the Arsenal goal from his left wing. He had been kept quiet by his opponent, Gunner fullback Jurrien Timber, who also happens to be Gakpo’s national teammate in the Netherlands national football team.

Late into extra time, with Arsenal needing a goal to level points, Timber fell on the grass and extended his hand toward Gakpo to pick him up. The moment was like any other moment in any football game around the world. Until, it wasn’t.

The twist came when Timber refused to budge from his spot despite Gakpo trying to pull him up. Gakpo, visibly frustrated at his compatriot’s antics, let go of his arm and complained to the referee. The referee penalised Timber for his tactics, gifting Liverpool a free-kick and some momentum in what had been a cagey match.

It’s anyone’s guess what Timber, who seemed to be glued to the grass for a few seconds, was thinking doing that to Gakpo. So had Timber forgotten that his time-wasting was detrimental to his team?

Or did he think that he was a Liverpool player for a moment? (It is a well-known fact that Timber was courted by Liverpool a couple of years back)

Maybe it was an inside joke with Gakpo, who seemed anything but amused at it. It could very well be a brain-fade moment from Timber, the brilliant footballer that he is, when faced with the harsh reality of losing 3 points.

Arteta and Arne Slot painted different perspectives of the match after the whistle blew. The Arsenal manager noted the caginess of the match, iterating that he had assumed the match would be a matter of individual moments, “It was going to be decided in two possible actions, an individual error or a magic moment and it was decided in a magic moment.”

Arne Slot, who won the League in his maiden year with his Liverpool squad, was all smiles after the game. “If you win against a team like Arsenal, who last season were such a good team and have strengthened so much, to win against them is very positive,” the Liverpool boss said, praising Arteta’s team while maintaining his team’s stature as defending champions.

While Gakpo and Timber are national teammates, their on-field feud has also ignited sparks of rivalry between Liverpool and Arsenal, two teams vying for the Premier League trophy.

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