Liverpool hammer blow: Five mistakes that killed title dream
Liverpool can now forget about the Premier League title after a shock 2-0 loss to Everton on Wednesday (24 April).
The defeat at Goodison Park leaves the Reds three points behind league leaders Arsenal with four matches to play, with the Gunners boasting a much better goal difference.
Man City meanwhile are just one point behind Liverpool in third, with Pep Guardiola’s side having two games in hand over the Reds and Arsenal.
Football Insider analyses five Liverpool mistakes over the course of the season that have killed the title dream, from poor team selection to simply unacceptable results.
Liverpool under-use Harvey Elliott
Elliott may only be 21, but he has proven his ability and maturity this season, with the youngster certainly stepping up to the plate in recent times.
The versatile midfielder has undertaken various roles under Jurgen Klopp, but the manager has often overlooked the player at key stages of the season.
Elliott is approaching his 50th appearance in all competitions this season, but far too many of his matches have come from the bench, with Klopp instead constantly relying on the likes of Mohamed Salah and Luis Diaz in wide roles despite their constant failure to be clinical when it matters most.
Jurgen Klopp announces departure
Perhaps there is no perfect time for a beloved boss such as Klopp to announce his departure, especially given his special connection with the Merseyside outfit.
But the manager and the club made the decision to announce his exit in January, with the German moving on at the end of the season.
It will have undoubtedly come as a shock to fans and players of the Anfield club, with both groups massively upset and overwhelmed by the decision, with many still feeling the impact even at this stage of the season.
Liverpool suffer Spurs nightmare
Before that announcement, however, there was a major disappointment suffered on the pitch, with the Reds losing 2-1 at Tottenham in September.
It was a nightmare encounter for the visitors at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium from start to finish, with red cards going to Curtis Jones and Diogo Jota, before Joel Matip scored a 96th-minute own goal.
The controversy certainly didn’t end there, with PGMOL admitting that a significant human error took place when ruling out a Diaz goal for offside.
Klopp goes too strong against Sparta Prague
The Reds stormed to a 5-1 Europa League round of 16 first leg win against Sparta Prague early last month, but despite the result and busy schedule, Klopp decided to go for another strong XI in the return leg at Anfield.
The likes of Diaz and Alexis Mac Allister got the night off, but Salah, Darwin Nunez, Andy Robertson and Dominik Szoboszlai among others all started, with Virgil van Dijk even coming off the bench.
Liverpool smashed their opponents 6-1, but suffered a huge confidence blow just three days later in a 4-3 FA Cup quarter-final loss to Man United.
Losing to Crystal Palace at Anfield
Crystal Palace have always been somewhat of a bogey club for Liverpool in recent memory, perhaps beginning with the nightmare 3-3 draw at Selhurst Park back in 2014.
The Reds blew a three-goal lead in the final 11 minutes and consequently blew their title hopes, leaving star striker Luis Suarez in tears.
Earlier this month the Eagles went one step further, beating Klopp’s side 1-0 at Anfield on a weekend where fellow title challengers Arsenal lost 2-0 at home to Aston Villa.
In other news, “huge” Arne Slot compensation details emerge from Anfield.
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