Brilliant Barcola scores first hat-trick to get lift-off at Liverpool

Should Liverpool's £123 million signing Bradley Barcola be written off just yet? The Frenchman, acquired by Liverpool over a year ago, has yet to cement himself as a regular starter for the Premier League champions. Barcola has made six appearances for the Reds, but has only clocked up 90 minutes or more in a game once. He hasn't scored a goal or provided an assist for Liverpool so far this season.

The 24-year-old was given a chance in Sunday's crucial match against Manchester City, when the Reds were without three of their most dangerous attackers due to injury. With Alexander Isak, Cody Gakpo and Dominik Szoboszlai sidelined, Barcola was expected to step up and provide a spark. However, he failed to do so, putting in a lackluster performance that resulted in just 0.05 expected goals and 0.02 expected assists.

Barcola missed a key chance to prove his worth in front of goal, as he registered 0.05 xG (expected goals) and 0.02 xA (expected assists) against City’s right-back Matheus Nunes. While City are a formidable opponent, even in light of their recent legal issues, Barcola's showing was far from satisfactory. In fact, some observers have compared his performance to that of academy graduates Rio Ngumoha and Lewis Koumas, who haven't exactly been stonewall hits themselves.

Liverpool's decision to invest heavily in Barcola, one of the most expensive French players in history, has left some supporters feeling that they may have overpaid for a player who has yet to deliver. With Florian Wirtz's own underwhelming performances adding to the pressure, it remains to be seen whether Barcola can live up to the expectations placed upon him at Anfield.