Liverpool’s Rio Ngumoha ignored Andy Robertson’s ‘screams’ and made Premier League history at Anfield – ‘He was unbelievable’

Starting only his second top-flight game for The Reds, Ngumoha controlled a pass on the left of the penalty area and drove goalwards.

He twisted Fulham full-back Timothy Castagne this way and that before eventually the Belgian allowed a shooting window, and the teenager took full advantage, curling his shot into the bottom corner.

The England Under-19 international still had plenty to do, even after using his electric movement on the ball to shake Castagne loose. He expertly bent his shot around Joachim Andersen, and the despairing dive of Bernd Leno, to open the scoring.

However, Andy Robertson was less convinced by Ngumoha’s celebration.

Youngest Premier League goalscorers at Anfield

Data: Opta

“No, he was unbelievable, it just shows you sometimes – do not listen to the experienced players. I am screaming at him to say that I am coming on the overlap, and he just goes cuts inside. It was a great finish from him, great performance by him, he just keeps learning and listening, he is such a good kid.

“Him and Trey [Nyoni], honestly, are a pleasure to work with. They just listen to all the lads, and you can see them improving all the time. He has got a big future ahead of him, but the here and now is pretty good as well.”

Ngumoha’s player-of-the-match performance puts pressure on Arne Slot to give him the chance to become Liverpool’s youngest European goalscorer in their must-win game against Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday.

And the 17-year-old finished his interview by saying: “Let us go again.”

Liverpool produced just 0.17 expected goals in the first leg, and less than half of that tally came from the front two of Hugo Ekitike and Florian Wirtz, as Ngumoha was an unused substitute at the Parc des Princes.

But he responded in the best way possible, breaking the deadlock against the dogged Cottagers to undercut Raheem Sterling’s strike against Reading in 2012 as the youngest Premier League scorer at Anfield by 92 days.

Michael Owen is the only other player to achieve that feat before turning 18, while only James Milner and Wayne Rooney have reached that milestone at a younger age than Ngumoha.

‘Exceptional performance’ – Owen, Lescott hail Ngumoha’s display in FA Cup win

Video credit: TNT Sports

“Coming back to Anfield and getting the three points, it is a good feeling, a great feeling,” Ngumoha added. “The atmosphere was great again, so a positive day.

“It was a special goal, Robbo [Robertson] made the overlap, he created space for me, then I just cut inside and aimed for the corner.

“Liverpool, for me the biggest club in the world, [so] to start so young, and the manager having belief in me and all the players, it is great, so just got to keep working hard and keep pushing on, let us go again.”