Another bad evening for Liverpool.
Jurgen Klopp’s side beat Atalanta in their Europa League quarter-final second leg but were unable to overturn the 3-0 deficit accumulated during a horrendous first-leg performance at Anfield last week last.
They got the dream start they needed thanks to Mohamed Salah’s early penalty, but despite an improved performance, Atalanta did not relent and they duly progressed to the semi-finals.
Here we analyze the main talking points in Bergamo, as Liverpool must focus on just one competition in the final weeks of the season.
Can this team get back into the title race?
It wasn’t long ago that the stars seemed to be aligning for Jurgen Klopp and Liverpool during their final months together. Living in four competitions and among the favorites for each.
The Carabao Cup marked a first trophy win in February, but acts of self-sabotage resulted in Manchester United’s dismal FA Cup exit as another competition ended in the quarter-finals with regrets.
And now there’s only one thing left to pursue. Liverpool have six Premier League games remaining to overtake Manchester City at the top of the table and they will need something close to perfection if they are to reclaim the title.
This currently goes beyond Klopp’s side. Too many chances were wasted and it was another contest that failed against an opponent who deserved their place in the semi-final.
Premier League trips to Fulham on Sunday and Everton next Wednesday must bring maximum returns, otherwise the Klopp era is doomed to a deflating end.
Phil Buckingham
Should Klopp consider resting Salah?
When you’re looking for a night of miracles to try to overcome an 0-3 deficit, you generally want your best players on the court.
So why was Mohamed Salah – Liverpool’s all-time top scorer in Europe – substituted after 67 minutes when Liverpool led just 1-0 (1-3 in the draw)? Salah’s penalty after seven minutes had Liverpool fans dreaming of an improbable comeback but, in general, he hasn’t really looked himself in recent weeks.
This crystallized towards the end of the first half when his lob attempt, after being cleared with only goalkeeper Juan Musso to beat, went awry.
Salah clings to a ball over…
But his lob attempt goes off his shin…
…and bounces far from the goal.
A poorly executed one-on-one finish is actually not uncommon for Salah, as we saw in the first half. He’s a player who relies on high volume rather than lethal finishing – only four Premier League players average more shots than Salah’s 3.6 per 90 this season.
The most worrying sight is his diminishing threat in possession. Whether it’s giving away the ball cheaply, getting into trouble or failing to make those devastating runs past the opposition full-back, things just aren’t looking good at the moment.
For Klopp, there are two obvious options. Continue to start Salah to allow him to find his rhythm, or remove the Egyptian from the starting lineup to try to rest him and reset his performances?
His standards have been so astronomical over the years that anything below his elite heights have looked remarkably remarkable in recent matches.
Marc Carey
What impact did Alexander-Arnold have?
Liverpool may count themselves lucky to have discovered Conor Bradley was ready to step in in 2024, but the return of Trent Alexander-Arnold has restored a lost dimension to Klopp’s side.
The right-back started his first game in more than two months after recovering from his serious knee injury and his performance against Atalanta was a reminder of what Liverpool have been missing.
Alexander-Arnold played a key role in this determined departure which offered the promise of a comeback. As well as winning the early penalty which left Liverpool a lifeline, his cross deflecting off the hand of Matteo Ruggeri, the England international showed off his enviable passing range to turn defense into attacks.
The 25-year-old remains a very modern right-back, drifting across the pitch to regain possession, often between the two centre-backs. Not every pass was successful, but his range troubled Atalanta, an opponent who had constantly caused Bradley problems seven days earlier.
Alexander-Arnold wasn’t perfect, which is forgivable given he hadn’t played 90 minutes since the start of January, but he helped take Atalanta to places they had hoped to avoid.
Phil Buckingham
How attacking rotations worked for Liverpool
In Liverpool’s unforgettable first leg at Anfield, much of the frustration in their performance was that they were unable to play their usual game due to Atalanta’s relentless marking.
Whatever the result of the second leg, Klopp was keen that they would not suffer the same frustration in Bergamo. To combat Atalanta’s out-of-possession approach, Liverpool alternated positions all over the pitch, drawing players into areas they were not comfortable with in an attempt to open up spaces.
Atalanta vs Liverpool match dashboarddisplaying threat timeline, territory, match stats, shot maps and passing networks
We got used to Alexander-Arnold drifting into central areas between the centre-backs or in midfield, but seeing Andrew Robertson play as a temporary striker was rare – and the approach worked for long periods.
More often than not, it was Liverpool’s front three who changed positions on the pitch. Cody Gakpo started as a central striker, but frequently drifted to the left and rotated with Luis Diaz, while other times he dropped deep to send the ball to the onrushing Diaz or Salah – who took up positions himself in central areas.
Turns on the ball meant Liverpool were a little open themselves at times when losing possession, but the overall approach was ahead of their performance last Thursday.
Marc Carey
What did Klopp say?
The Liverpool manager was pleased with his side’s performance in the win in Bergamo, but admitted the damage was done in the first leg on Merseyside.
“It was clear that we put a huge obstacle on ourselves,” he told TNT Sports, the British channel. “I really liked tonight’s match with the desire and power that the boys showed. If Trent Alexander-Arnold had been a bit fitter we could have played a bit longer, but it’s crazy he even played! In the end, he ran out of gas.
“We won the game and that was the reaction we wanted to show. It was tough and we knew it would be, but they deserve to get through this 100 percent.
“We need to focus on the league and that’s exactly what we’re going to do from now on. Tonight we won the game, so we are back on the winning path. We have a few days to recover to start again against Fulham. It will be a different match but it will be tricky.
What future for Liverpool?
Sunday April 21: Fulham (A), Premier League, 4:30 p.m. UK, 11:30 a.m. ET
Liverpool know they simply cannot afford any more slip-ups in the Premier League title race, so the pressure is on for the trip to Craven Cottage on Sunday. Fulham have proved an awkward opponent in their three meetings with Klopp’s side this season – including two in the Carabao Cup semi-finals – but the Londoners have not beaten Liverpool at home since 2011.
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(Top photo: Isabella Bonotto/AFP via Getty Images)