If Liverpool‘s slim derby victory over Everton final week had some supporters reaching for the champagne, Sunday’s shock 3-2 defeat away to Fulham within the Premier League ensured that, for now, it stays firmly on ice.
Although second-placed Arsenal‘s drab 1-1 draw with Everton on Saturday diminished the influence of Liverpool’s second league defeat of the season, the error-strewn show at Craven Cottage served as a sobering reminder that, whereas the runaway leaders have one hand on the trophy, there may be nonetheless work to do.
Arne Slot’s aspect are 11 factors clear on the summit and, with simply seven video games left to play, it would take an unprecedented collapse for them to give up the title from right here. However whereas it is testomony to the energy of Liverpool’s general physique of labor that they boast such a commanding lead, their aura of infallibility has undeniably been dented in latest weeks. Sunday’s loss within the capital marked a 3rd defeat in 4 video games in all competitions.
The truth that a type of defeats got here through a penalty shootout towards a powerful Paris Saint-Germain aspect within the Champions League and one other towards a Newcastle United staff vying to finish their membership’s 70-year trophy drought within the Carabao Cup remaining gives some mitigation.
Liverpool have been unfortunate towards PSG and, after an energy-sapping 120 minutes, struggled to match Newcastle’s starvation and tenacity a number of days later. Towards Fulham, although, Liverpool have been the architects of their very own downfall. They conceded three objectives within the area of 14 first-half minutes, after taking an early lead by means of Alexis Mac Allister‘s surprise strike, earlier than Luis Díaz bought one again within the second half.
“I believe there isn’t a cause for us to be complacent,” Slot in his information convention afterward. “We’re not No. 1 for the time being as a result of we win each sport with a margin of three or 4 objectives … That is not the best way it’s for us, so we’re absolutely conscious of the actual fact we’ve to compete for seven extra video games.”
Slot and his gamers could also be only a handful of video games away from cementing their place within the annals of Liverpool historical past, however the coming weeks promise to be instructive, each when it comes to shaping the broader narrative round their marketing campaign and dictating whose place could be below menace at Anfield subsequent season.
What’s gone unsuitable?
Liverpool have had an distinctive season, however latest outcomes have given credence to the view in some quarters that the staff are removed from the completed article. After shedding only one sport in 27 in all competitions earlier than January, Slot’s aspect have been crushed six occasions in 22 for the reason that flip of the yr, though two of these defeats (away to PSV Eindhoven within the league part of the Champions League and Tottenham Hotspur within the first leg of the Carabao Cup semifinals) finally proved of little consequence.
Fatigue has been mooted as one potential cause for Liverpool’s drop-off, although Slot dismissed this suggestion after the loss at Craven Cottage. In response to Opta, solely 10 outfield gamers within the Premier League have began all 31 video games this season, three of whom play for Liverpool: Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk and Ryan Gravenberch.
For Gravenberch, particularly, there may be some weight to the argument that an elevated workload has taken its toll in latest weeks. The 22-year-old has performed 2,657 minutes within the league, greater than double the 1,120 he clocked up in 2023-24. That his midfielder deputy, Wataru Endo, has but to start out a league sport is reflective of Slot’s tendency to depend on a comparatively small crop of gamers.
Whereas it could be too simplistic in charge weary legs for Liverpool’s downturn in kind, a level of psychological fatigue appears to have crept in for some. In any case, barring the lesser-spotted Federico Chiesa, this is identical group of gamers who noticed their season implode in spectacular vogue below Jurgen Klopp a yr in the past. Maybe a few of the calamitous particular person errors towards Fulham have been born from a bout of end-of-season nerves. In that case, that is one thing Slot and his gamers should nip within the bud rapidly, as they cannot afford to let the ghosts of final season return to hang-out them within the coming weeks.
Additionally it is no coincidence that Liverpool’s dip has coincided with a uncommon barren spell in entrance of objective for Salah. The Egypt worldwide has loved one of many nice particular person Premier League seasons, registering a mightily spectacular 27 objectives and 17 assists, and has contributed to a whopping 61% of Liverpool’s 72 league objectives. However he has gone with out scoring in his final 4 video games in all competitions and his final league objectives have been a brace of penalties towards strugglers Southampton in early March.
Whereas Diogo Jota scored a positive winner within the Merseyside derby and Díaz was impactful instead towards Fulham, Liverpool’s attacking play is much much less convincing when Salah’s affect wanes. Slot should hope his talisman is ready to get again to his finest between now and the tip of the marketing campaign.
What do Liverpool have to do in the summertime?
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Regardless of Liverpool having dominated within the Premier League, this summer time guarantees to be one of many busiest in years at Anfield.
The primary, and maybe most vital piece of enterprise has been carried out with Salah signing a new contract, ending a months-long saga over his future. Subsequent, Liverpool should set up the futures of their different out-of-contract stars: Van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold. Whereas a source has told ESPN that Real Madrid are assured of touchdown Alexander-Arnold on a free switch, there remains optimism on Merseyside that Van Dijk will commit.
Assuming that is how the state of affairs performs out, Liverpool might want to dip into the marketplace for a right-back to offer competitors for the 21-year-old Conor Bradley. The Northern Eire worldwide has proved a succesful deputy for Alexander-Arnold since his breakthrough final season and has the standard to ascertain himself as Slot’s first alternative. However his harm report — coupled with an absence of expertise at elite stage — means it might be a danger to not bolster that place.
On the other flank, the necessity to clean up at left-back is obtrusive. Andrew Robertson has been an incredible servant for the membership since becoming a member of for £8 million from Hull Metropolis in 2017, however he has struggled for kind this time period. The Scotland captain’s catalogue of errors within the buildup to Fulham’s second objective have been emblematic of his tough marketing campaign, whereas back-up Kostas Tsimikas isn’t considered as a long-term resolution and could also be tempted to depart in the hunt for common minutes.
AFC Bournemouth left-back Milos Kerkez has been closely linked with a £40m transfer to Anfield and, at 21, aligns effectively with Liverpool’s conventional recruitment coverage of signing younger gamers who have already got a major wealth of high-level expertise. Ajax defender Jorrel Hato, 19, additionally suits that profile and is able to enjoying as each a full-back and a central defender, whereas his switch is valued at round £30m.
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On the different finish of the pitch, Liverpool’s ahead line can be in want of surgical procedure. Darwin Núñez has endured one other turbulent marketing campaign and, after three seasons at Anfield, seems to be no nearer to creating into the prolific No. 9 the membership hoped he would change into once they spent an preliminary £64m to signal him from Benfica in the summertime of 2022.
Jota is a extra pure objective scorer, however he too has appeared a way off his finest this season and his continued harm struggles typically go away Liverpool in want of somebody to take up the mantle as first-choice heart ahead. In fact, Slot’s aspect won’t be the one staff available in the market for a striker, and the likes of Newcastle’s Alexander Isak, Napoli‘s Victor Osimhen (on mortgage at Galatasaray) and RB Leipzig‘s Benjamin Sesko will come at a premium of between £70m-£150m. However they could have the ability to recoup some cash from the attainable exit of Núñez to Saudi Arabia or elsewhere.
Whereas the membership are unlikely to signal greater than three or 4 new gamers, it might be shrewd for Liverpool to recruit a midfielder to assist lighten the load on Gravenberch. And the Reds haven’t signed a center-back since Ibrahima Konaté in 2021, so may gain advantage from a reshuffle there too, even when Van Dijk stays on.
Contemplating this squad is more likely to be topped champions of England within the not-too-distant future, it is clear there may be nonetheless loads of room for enchancment. For now, although, Liverpool’s focus have to be on returning to profitable methods — beginning with this weekend’s go to of West Ham United to Anfield. Something lower than three factors towards Graham Potter’s aspect and there shall be issues that the Reds’ slight malaise is descending right into a mini-crisis which might go away scars that even a summer time of fine switch enterprise cannot repair.
