The fight for the top 4 has only intensified.
Fabinho played his best game of the season against Wolverhampton
The match on 1 March was one of the best for the Brazilian defensive midfielder. Throughout the season, the Reds fans, as well as outsiders, could not understand what was the reason for such a serious decline compared to the last season. If you take a segment for several years, except for the last year, he can be safely included in the best defensive midfielders in the world. However, something happened after the 21/22 season ended.
In January of this year, Fabinho was ousted from the main team of the Merseysiders by 18-year-old Stef Baycetic, but already in February he returned to duty, but he still did not look like himself. In the last match, the Brazilian came out in the top three with Baycetic himself, as well as Harvey Elliott. And Fabinho can certainly add this match to his heritage: he made the most tackles, 3 interceptions in the opponent’s half, 4 ball returns and 3 single fights won. Not bad for previous meetings, when even Klopp openly criticized the player:
He knows he’s far from his best form. He has to keep working to get back. It was great for many years but now it is failing.
There are conditions for a return to the form of the trinity of the right flank of the team
Like Fabinho, the team’s right flank hasn’t worked well this season. Trent has not made a single assist before the World Cup, and Henderson is increasingly losing his place to Harvey Elliott, who has not yet had time to acquire the necessary skills for this role.
Only Salah does not change: the Egyptian scored his 20th goal of the season against Wolves, becoming the 4th Premier League player to cross this milestone. He was accompanied by Holland, Kane and Rashford. Since moving from Roma, the Egyptian has consistently scored 20 goals, whether the club is in a slump or in recovery.
Positive signs of the trio’s return came again in the match against Newcastle, when the Reds scored their first goal after a combination on the right wing. In that situation Fabinho also joined them, who fired the opposing player at himself, allowing Trent to move into the center in the free zone. With the resulting space, the Englishman managed to deliver an incredible pass without putting up any resistance to Nunez, who was running into the penalty area.
Real Madrid also managed to score thanks to off the ball play on the right wing. After giving the transfer to Salah, Henderson dragged away Alaba, who was the Egyptian’s counterpart. With fewer defensive players guarding Salah, he managed to issue a pass in the corridor formed for Darwin himself.
It is obvious that Trent and Salah are untouchable in their positions, and the player in the central midfield position in this trinity is constantly being replaced. This season, Henderson, Elliot, Naby Keita managed to play here. Adding to the team’s poor form is Liverpool’s lack of stability on the right wing, but there is now reason to believe there is a positive trend.
The Reds made a good move, perhaps giving their best reach
Since the 3-0 defeat at Wolverhampton in early February, Liverpool have gone nine days without consecutive games. It seems that Jurgen Klopp managed to use it for his own purposes:
“We came after the match, analyzed Sunday’s match with the boys and then gave them two days off. After we talked, I 100% thought it was a good idea not to see each other for two days! It was helpful, our mood as a team is much better.
Subsequently, Liverpool played 4 matches in the Premier League, 3 of which ended with the same score for the team 2:0. In addition, Alisson has not conceded a single goal in these matches. As for the 1/8 Champions League match, in the opening 25 minutes the Reds were as close to best times as possible. They managed to crush Real Madrid with pressure, cover the visitors in their third of the pitch and make them make mistakes. Unfortunately for them the pressure wasn’t enough for the entire match, but the very fact that the players managed to play like this speaks volumes.
Ahead is a very stubborn fight for the top 4 and to get into the Champions League
Due to the numerous postponed matches in the current season, many are forced to calculate the number of points lost. So, for example, Liverpool have a game in hand against Tottenham, who are in 4th place and ahead of the Merseysiders by 6 points. Brighton have played 3 games less than the Londoners and 2 less than the Reds, 10 and 4 points behind respectively.
Most likely, the top 3 of England has already formed. There are no prerequisites for one of the leading clubs to start folding, giving the lagging teams a chance. Manchester United are 4 points clear of Tottenham but also have a game in hand, giving the Red Devils a comfortable lead.
Liverpool need to keep playing and get back in shape. The last 4-game stretch makes the team’s fans hope for a series of positive results that would allow the Reds to enter the Champions League zone, which would give an additional financial boost before the upcoming summer reconstruction.
