- Why The Reds Might Not Be Challenging Come April or May
Defeat at Arsenal
Liverpool lost 3-1 at Arsenal over the weekend and with that result, defending Champions Manchester City have their fate in their own hands.
If Pep Guardiola’s men can win their game in hand, they will go top of the league once again. Arsenal and Liverpool will then become the chasing pack. This article looks at reasons why Liverpool might fall off from what is now a full-blown three horse race for the EPL title.
The Reds looked a shadow of themselves against Arsenal, as the Gunners won the game in midfield with little stress.
Jorginho controlled much of the game, and Declan Rice was available to cut out dangerous moves from Liverpool. Klopp’s men never looked like a side that could get a point on Sunday, and that might just be a sign of things to come for the rest of the season.
Klopp Leaving
Jürgen Klopp announced last month that he is will leave Liverpool at the end of the season, and that has also become a factor when we try to evaluate Liverpool for the rest of this season.
Will the players give their all for the rest of the season, or is Klopp out of steam already? Can he motivate his Liverpool side in difficult situations? He didn’t answer these questions over the weekend, and that is part of the reason why Liverpool might just fall off from the title race.
Transfer Failure
Another issue was the sheer balls of the Liverpool board not to sign a defensive midfielder during the January transfer window.
Fans will argue that it made no sense since Klopp was going to leave at the end of the season and a rebuild is expected, but still Liverpool should have equipped Klopp with a capable defensive midfielder to bring much needed balance to their midfield.
Alexis McAllister has struggled to fill that role, especially defensively, Ryan Gravenberch is not a defensive midfielder, and Wataru Endo has not really flourished in the Premier League.
Liverpool are top of the League due to their fantastic attack and some individual brilliance that has helped the side escape some open matches against lower sides in the league. They needed a destroyer at the base of midfield, and they failed to get one, it will affect them.
Squad Depth
There is also an issue of quality in depth for the Merseyside club. The club has given a few academy graduates some important minutes this season due to key injuries and lack of better players.
Manchester City and Arsenal boast of a better bench in terms of effectiveness and contributions, and that will be important in this season’s title race.
