If LiverpoolIs a narrow victory of the derby Everton Last week they let several supporters reach for champagne, Sunday shock 3-2 defeat away Fulham in Premier League He ensured that he remains firmly on the ice for the time being.
Although in the second place Arsenal“Drab 1-1 draw with Everton on Saturday reduced the impact of the second league defeat of the Liverpool season, the displays with a mistake in Craven Cottage served as a perennial reminder that while the refugees have one hand on trophy, they still need to be done.
The Arne Slot side is on the summit of 11 points and only seven games left to play, It would take unprecedented collapse to give up the title. But even though it is a testimony of the strength of the overall work of Liverpool that it boasts such commanding leadership, their aura of infallibility has been undeniably mixed in recent weeks. Sunday loss in the capital meant the third defeat in four games in all competitions.
The fact that one of these defeats came through a penalty shootout against an impressive Paris Saint-Germain Party in the Champions League and others against a Newcastle United The team competes for the end of the 70 -year -old drought of their club trophy in Carabao Cup Final offers some alleviation.
Liverpool They were unhappy against PSG and after 120 minutes they tried to combine Newcastle’s hunger and toughness a few days later. Against Fulham, however, were Liverpool architects of their own fall. They admitted three goals in the area 14 of the first half of minutes after they took over the early leadership Alexis Mac Allisteris a miracle blow, before Luis Diaz He got one back in the second half.
“I think there is no reason to be satisfied,” then at his press conference Slot. “We are not No. 1 at the moment, because we will win every game with three or four goals … This is not the way it is for us, so we are fully aware of the fact that we have to compete for seven other games.”
The slot and its players can only be a handful of games away from strengthening their place in the Anaals of Liverpool, but the coming weeks promise to be instructive, both in terms of the wider narration around their campaign and dictation, whose positions could be endangered in Anfield next season.
What happened?
Liverpool had an exceptional season, but the recent results have given credibility in some neighborhoods that the team is not far from the finished article. After losing only one game at the age of 27 in all competitions before January, the side of the slot to 22 was defeated six times since the turn of the year, albeit two of these defeats (away PSV Eindhoven In the league phase of the Champions League and Tottenham Hotspur In the first stage of the Carabao Cup semifinals) he finally proved to be a little consequences.
Fatigue was hit as one potential reason for Liverpool’s decline, although the slot rejected this proposal after a loss in Craven Cottage. According to Opta, only 10 Premier League players have launched all 31 games this season, three of which are playing for Liverpool: Muhammad is wrong, Virgil van dijk and Ryan Gravenberch.
Especially for Gravenberch, he has an argument that the increased workload has been selecting increased workload in recent weeks. The 22-year-old player played 2,657 minutes in the league, more than twice the 1,120, which he joined in 2023-24. That his deputy midfielder, Wataru endoHe still has to start the league game, reflects the tendency of the slot to rely on a relatively small harvest of players.
Although it could be too simplistic to blame the tired legs for Liverpool’s decline in the form, it seems that the degree of mental fatigue has been crazy for some. After all, it will prevent minor spots Federico ChiesaThis is the same group of players who have seen their season to implement spectacular fashion under Jurgen Klopp a year ago. Perhaps some of the calamity individual mistakes against Fulham were born from a nerve attack at the end of the season. If so, it’s something that a slot and his players have to throw quickly into the bud because they can’t afford to leave the ghosts last season in the coming weeks to chase them.
It is also no coincidence that Liverpool’s dip coincides with the rare infertile magic before the goal of Salah. The Egypt International enjoyed one of the large individual premier League periods, registered a powerful impressive 27 goals and 17 assists, and contributed to an incredible 61% of the 72 Liverpool league goals. In all competitions, however, in his last four games left without scoring and his latest league goals were an orthosis of punishment against warriors Southampton At the beginning of March.
While Diogo jota He scored a fine winner in Merseyside Derby, and was impressive as a replacement against Fulham, Liverpool’s attacking game is much less convincing when Salah’s influence decreases. The slot must hope that his talisman can return to the best from now on and at the end of the campaign.
What must Liverpool do in the summer?
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Although Liverpool dominated the Premier League, this summer he promises to be one of the busiest years in Anfield.
The first and perhaps the most important companies were done Salah to sign a new contractEnding monthly saga over his future. Furthermore, Liverpool has to create a futures of their other non -contractual stars: van dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold. While Source said ESPN that Real Madrid are convinced of landing Alexander-Arnold during free transfer, The Merseyside remains optimism that van dijk will commit.
Assuming how the situation takes place, Liverpool will have to dive into the market to ensure the competition of a 21 -year -old Conor Bradley. Since its breakthrough last season, Northern Ireland has proven to be a representative for Alexander-Arnold and is of quality to make the first selection of the slot. But his record of injury – associated with lack of experience at the elite level – would mean that there was a risk that it would not be facing this position.
On the opposite side it is necessary to refresh yourself in the left. Andrew Robertson Since he joined 8 million GBP in 2017, he has been a huge servant for the club, but fought for the form of this period. The Scotland Captain’s catalog of errors in accumulation of the second goal of Fulham was a symbol of his difficult campaign while backup Kostas tsimicas It is not considered a long -term solution and may be tempted to leave regular minutes.
AFC Bournemouth left back Milos is coming He was strongly associated with a transfer of £ 40 million to Anfield, and at the age of 21 he copes well with the traditional recruitment policy of Liverpool, which signs young players who already have a significant amount of experience at a high level. Ajax defender Jorrel Hato19, it is also suitable for this profile and is able to play as a full-back and central defender, while its transfer is awarded approximately £ 30 million.
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At the other end of the course, the Liverpool front line also needs surgery. Darwin núñez He lasted another turbulent campaign and after three seasons in Anfield do not like the development of fertile no. 9. Benfica In summer 2022.
Jota is a more natural shooter of goals, but also this season looked some way from the best, and his continuing injury often leaves Liverpool so that someone needs to get to the cloak as the center of the first election. The slot party of course will not be the only team on the market of the attacker and like Newcastle Alexander Isaac, Napoli‘with Victor Osimhen (About a loan at Galatasaray) and Rb leipzig‘with Benjamin Sesko It comes with a bonus between £ 70 million GBP-150 million pounds. However, they could be able to recover some money from the possible departure from Núñez to Saudi Arabia or elsewhere.
Although the club is unlikely to sign more than three or four new players, it would be smart to hire a midfielder for Liverpool to help lighten the load on Gravenberch. And Reds have not signed the center since Ibrahima In 2021 it could also benefit from overlap, even if van Dijk remains.
Given that this group is likely to be crowned in England in a not very distant future, it is clear that there is still enough space for improvement. For the time being, however West Ham United to Anfield. All less than three points against the side of Graham Potter and there will be worries that the slight malaise Reds descends into a mini-scripion that could leave scars that even a summer with good transmission cannot repair.
