Liverpool's £440m summer spending spree couldn't deliver what a 17-year-old academy graduate achieved in an instant. Rio Ngumoha became Liverpool's youngest Premier League goalscorer at Anfield with his goal against Fulham, sparking hope in a season that had begun to fade. The teenager's impact has been immediate in just his second start.

Arne Slot's Anfield future could hinge on whether Liverpool can overturn a two-goal deficit against Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League. Fifth place in the Premier League will secure qualification for next season's competition, and Ngumoha's emergence gives the Dutch manager a crucial selection dilemma ahead of the second leg at Anfield.

Jamie Redknapp, who watched Ngumoha train at Chelsea alongside his son Beau, believes the teenager may be better used as an impact substitute. "If you can stay in the game, you've got Rio to come off the bench and nick a goal, lift the crowd," Redknapp said. "That feels like it has a nice shape. You've got players to come off the bench if you need them."

Ngumoha left Chelsea at 16 to join Liverpool in 2024. "The potential was so obvious," Redknapp revealed. "Everybody could see his natural X factor." After a difficult first year in the academy, the teenager has forced his way into the first team this season, scoring against Newcastle and Fulham while thriving in a tough environment.