Jurgen Klopp’s Merseyside Reds will step out on the Anfield turf on Thursday for their 19th top-flight outing this season, a game which will mark the midway point of the Premier League campaign for the defending champions.
It is fair to say that Liverpool FC have failed to emulate their showings across the 2019-20 title-winning campaign heading into the new season and last weekend’s goalless stalemate against arch-foes Manchester United meant that Klopp’s men had failed to win any of their last four games in league football.
The draw against Ole Gunnar Solskajer’s men dropped down the Reds to the fourth spot in the league table as the likes of Leicester City and Everton continue to exert dominance over the Big Six in English top-flight football.
Injuries to key first-team regulars, coupled with contrasting form displayed by star players, have played a major part in curtailing what was expected to be an impressive title-defence from the Anfield giants from the get-go.
Failure to return to winning ways in the midweek game against Burnley could spell out further trouble for Klopp and Co. as the title race heats up heading into the second half of the 38-game-long campaign and the Liverpool FC boss has been made well aware by the club’s fanbase that nothing short of a second successive top-flight crown would suffice their ever-increasing expectations.
Here are 3 major talking points affecting Liverpool FC’s dwindling fortunes whilst on the pitch as the Merseysiders seek a record-equaling 20th Premier League title-
#1 Injury-depleted defensive core
Potential season-ending layoffs for the first-choice centre-back pairing of Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez has forced Jurgen Klopp’s hand in turning to fringe options within his Anfield ranks to make up for the colossal duo at the heart of the backline.
On the verge of heading out of the club last summer in a permanent deal, the 23-year-old Nathan Phillips has been called upon to play a major role in what has largely been a makeshift Liverpool FC backline, with the central defender being accompanied by teenage starlet Rhys Williams to fill in the void left by Van Dijk’s untimely sideline.
Recurring troubles for the injury-prone Joel Matip fails to provide Klopp with any possible comfort as the Cameroonian defender’s efforts to establish first-team regular credentials prove futile by the passing weeks.
#2 Misfiring attacking department
Image Source – Squawka Football
Once hailed as the most lethal attacking combine in world football, the Firmino-Mane-Salah triplet have gone invisible upfront when required the most by their side in high-billed fixtures.
Firmino’s struggles in front of the goal have been well documented since the backend of the 2019-20 season and many believe, amongst those one of whom is Liverpool FC great Jamie Carragher, that the Brazillian striker risks being relegated to the bench in a firm manner should his lack of cutting edge going forward continue to hamper Liverpool FC’s attacking endeavours.
Salah leads the goalscoring charts with 13 goals to his name but the Egyptian’s shallow run of form of late has convinced many Liverpool FC fans that talk of a move to Spain has gone to their star forward’s head at such a crucial juncture of the Premier League season.
#3 Fringe options need to step up
The likes of Xherdan Shaqiri and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain are proven match-winners on their day but the duo, along with names such as Takumi Minamino and Divock Origi, have endured a relatively quiet campaign so far.
Chamberlain’s injury in pre-season sidelined the former Arsenal man from featuring in first-team action until December and as speculation hints at a possible summer move away from Anfield for the midfielder, a run of great form when given the chance should do wonders for Chamberlain’s return to the XI week in and week out.
Shaqiri was given the rarest of starts in the draw against Manchester United, with the Swiss international putting in a commendable shift in midfield and Klopp’s post-game comments hinted at an advanced role for the fringe first-teamer going further into the season.
