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Slot handed warning by Carragher in reaction to Forest win
Rio Ngumoha might only have had a short cameo at the City Ground, but the reaction from Jamie Carragher suggests the 17-year-old has already forced his way into a bigger conversation at Liverpool.
Liverpool’s 1-0 win over Nottingham Forest was chaotic, disjointed and, for long spells, hard to watch, yet it ended with Alexis Mac Allister’s 97th-minute winner and three points that keep us in the hunt for the Champions League places.
Carragher’s focus, though, was on what changed once Ngumoha stepped on the pitch.
“Rio Ngumoha came on in the 77th minute, he did more in 15 minutes than Gakpo and Salah did in the whole game. He changed the game this kid. He needs to be starting games now. He’s that good.”
That is an unusually direct message to Arne Slot, particularly after a match where the manager’s plans were already shredded by Florian Wirtz being injured in the warm-up and Liverpool having to juggle roles, with Dominik Szoboszlai filling in at right-back before an in-game reshuffle.
Carragher’s message to Slot about Ngumoha minutes
"He absolutely changed the game this kid!"
"I don't think there is anybody better at getting last-minute winners than Liverpool" @Carra23 says Rio Ngumoha needs to be starting games for Liverpool pic.twitter.com/ag02uFjNBy— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) February 22, 2026
The obvious point in Slot’s defence is that this was not a normal afternoon, because Liverpool lost a key creative outlet before kick-off and had limited game-changers on the bench, with our two most expensive signings ever missing.
The counterpoint, and it is the one Carragher is effectively making, is that Ngumoha looked like the rare player who could inject purpose into a flat performance, even if it came in a 13-minute burst.
That is also why this is not really a debate about “dropping” anyone, but about finding an extra spark when we are struggling to progress the ball or create one-v-one moments in wide areas.
Ngumoha vs Salah and Gakpo: the comparison
The numbers from Forest do not tell you everything, but they do underline why the cameo stood out.
SofaScore stats vs Nottingham Forest
| Player | Minutes | Touches | Successful dribbles | xA | Big chances created | Key passes | Crosses (accurate) | Possession lost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rio Ngumoha | 13 | 11 | 2 | 0.42 | 1 | 1 | 1 (1) | 5 |
| Mo Salah | 77 | 50 | 0 | 0.23 | 1 | 1 | 4 (0) | 20 |
| Cody Gakpo | 77 | 30 | 0 | 0.02 | 0 | 0 | 2 (1) | 8 |
The standout line is Ngumoha’s 0.42 expected assists in such a short spell, alongside the fact the teenager completed two dribbles and produced an accurate cross, which fits with the eye test of a player trying to force openings rather than waiting for the game to come to him.
Daniel Sturridge’s post-match view feeds into the same point, because the former Liverpool striker described Ngumoha as “electric… direct, fearless, always trying to affect the game” and said the teenager “deserves more minutes”.
Lewis Steele had a similar opinion and it feels like the calls are getting louder for Rio.
Slot will not want to overload a 17-year-old, but when a match is crying out for one-v-one threat and urgency, Carragher’s message is clear: Ngumoha is already offering more than a cameo argument suggests.
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