Chelsea made huge Rio Ngumoha mistake as Liverpool star humiliates former club

Rio Ngumoha has been nothing but a thorn in Chelsea’s side, earning the adulation of the Anfield faithful on Saturday.

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The former Blues academy product provided the crucial assist for Ryan Gravenberch’s opening goal in the first half of the Premier League clash.

The 17-year-old traded Stamford Bridge for L4 back in 2025, with the teenager keen to secure a pathway to first-team football.

Chelsea made a big mistake with Rio Nguomoha

James Pearce hopped onto X (formerly Twitter) this afternoon to report on Liverpool fans chanting Ngumoha’s name after a strong start to the first 45.

The chant 'Rio' goes around Anfield. Ngumoha has started this game brilliantly against the club he left because he felt there was no pathway to the senior team.

— James Pearce (@JamesPearceLFC) May 9, 2026

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We can’t say we blame The Athletic journalist for twisting the knife by reminding Chelsea fans of their club’s decision not to provide a clear pathway for who they perceived to be a generational talent.

Ryan Gravenberch fires Liverpool into an early lead in some style!! #LFC pic.twitter.com/pFswQZYSDU

— Empire of the Kop (@empireofthekop) May 9, 2026

Given their current struggles, it’s extremely difficult to feel any kind of sympathy for such poor decision-making.

Jamie Gittens, the man who effectively took Rio Ngumoha’s spot in the Chelsea squad last summer, has hardly set the world alight. The former Dortmund winger has registered six goal contributions in 27 games (1,102 minutes).

Sure, we haven’t over-relied on Ngumoha this term, and we’re unlikely to next season. But for a talent of this calibre, you’d struggle to find many clubs that wouldn’t make room for his development.

Rio Ngumoha’s stats for Liverpool in the first half

Rio Ngumoha has the second-highest rating (7.1/10) on the pitch (behind Ryan Gravenberch) at the time of writing.

* Rio Ngumoha’s first half stats vs Chelsea in the Premier League (Fotmob)

It’s honestly a breath of fresh air to see the teenager on the pitch after months of Cody Gakpo’s comparatively static play.

He’s exactly the kind of footballer Liverpool have been crying out for on the wings in a season defined by a lack of pace and directness on the flanks.

Not to mention a strong reminder to the visitors of exactly what they’ll be missing out on for the next decade or so as Ngumoha comes into his own at Anfield.

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