Cody Gakpo a 'regular starter' for Liverpool, says Arne Slot

Liverpool set up a Carabao Cup quarter-final against Southampton after claiming a hard-fought 3-2 away win over Brighton in the last 16, thanks in large part to a second-half double from Cody Gakpo.
The Dutch striker broke the deadlock early in the second half and added a second in the 63rd minute to put the win on track. After the Reds' victory, Arne Slot reflected at a press conference on Gakpo's performances as well as his frequent absence from the starting eleven.
"Cody Gakpo is key player for us. For me, he is a regular starter. Maybe he’s not starting every game, but he’s started on a regular basis and he’s in a tough competition with Luis Diaz… so that’s normal at a club like Liverpool," he told reporters.
In fact, the former PSV player has made 14 official appearances under the Dutch coach this season but only six of them have been starts, scoring four goals and providing two assists.