Liverpool’s dreadful week has taken a turn for the worse.
A surprising 1-0 loss to struggling Crystal Palace has damaged Jurgen Klopp’s hopes of securing a second Premier League title. Following their 3-0 defeat to Atalanta in the Europa League on Thursday, their season is now at risk of falling apart.
Let’s delve into the key talking points from Anfield…
Are Liverpool’s title hopes over?
Even the most pessimistic fans in Merseyside couldn’t have predicted Liverpool’s week to go this badly.
After the disappointing 3-0 loss to Atalanta, which puts their Europa League semi-final hopes in jeopardy, the defeat to Crystal Palace has made a Premier League title even more unlikely.
Liverpool’s inconsistent form has been disguised by late comebacks, but Crystal Palace’s determined performance in a 1-0 win has dealt a severe blow to Jurgen Klopp’s dream of winning the league.
Near-perfection was required in the remaining games given Manchester City and Arsenal’s impressive form, and this unexpected defeat — their first home loss in the Premier League since October 2022 — has shattered all hopes.
With six more league games to go, Liverpool may need to win all of them, but even that might not be sufficient. Hoping for favors from other teams rarely works in title races.
A season that held so much promise has crumbled in just four days.
The Liverpool vs Crystal Palace match dashboard, showing how Klopp’s side missed glorious goalscoring chances
Why does Liverpool start games so slowly?
A recurring issue in Liverpool’s home games this season has been their slow starts.
They tend to begin sloppily and lethargically, allowing opponents to take the lead. Crystal Palace capitalized on this by scoring in the 14th minute through Eberechi Eze. It was a well-worked goal but highlighted Liverpool’s lack of intensity at the start.
Eze capitalizes on Liverpool’s sloppy start (Michael Steele/Getty Images)
This marked the 21st time in 51 league and cup games that Klopp’s team conceded first, and their defensive lapses continue to make even routine games challenging.
Since December, Liverpool has struggled to keep clean sheets, with teams like Burnley, Luton Town, Brighton & Hove Albion, and Palace scoring first-half goals at Anfield. The defensive frailties persist.
How did Liverpool miss those chances?
While Liverpool’s performance was below par, their missed opportunities in the second half were baffling. There were four clear-cut chances for different players, but none of them converted into goals.
Darwin Nunez, often wasteful in front of goal, squandered a close-range opportunity that was saved by Palace goalkeeper Dean Henderson.
Substitute Diogo Jota also failed to score, blocked by Nathaniel Clyne from Dominik Szoboszlai’s pass. Both Henderson and Clyne shouldn’t have been allowed to deny Liverpool’s chances.
Curtis Jones also missed a one-on-one chance, sending his shot wide, and Mohamed Salah, off his game, had his late attempt blocked by Tyrick Mitchell.
This series of missed opportunities undermined Liverpool’s chances of challenging their title rivals.
Was Robertson the standout performer?
Amidst a lackluster team performance marked by misplaced passes and poor positioning, Andy Robertson stood out as a consistent performer.
The left-back showed energy and determination that most of his teammates lacked, pushing forward down the flank to trouble Palace’s defense.
His impressive performance wasn’t limited to attacking play. With Palace already in the lead, Robertson displayed awareness and speed to clear Jean-Philippe Mateta’s shot off the line. Goal-line technology confirmed Robertson’s heroic effort.
… with goal-line technology showing it stayed out by inches.
… only for Robertson to hook clear.
While Liverpool’s right side struggled, with Palace targeting Conor Bradley and Ibrahima Konate, Robertson’s experience was a standout.
What did Jurgen Klopp say?
Liverpool’s manager expressed his disappointment after just his second league defeat at Anfield in front of fans since April 2017.
“To talk about this game is really tricky,” he told Sky Sports. “First half was absolutely not good enough so we showed a reaction. The reaction was we lost conviction from the last game. We tried to get rid of this but that did not work out as much as we wanted.
“To concede that goal was a horrible goal to concede with a completely free player in the area. That cannot happen but it happens. Crystal Palace didn’t have many more (chances) and we controlled it better and then second half we can easily say if we don’t score with these chances what can you say?
“The second half was much better, Trent (Alexander-Arnold) coming on and in the moment the structure changed. We caused problems and we had big, big chances. If we stand here and win the game 4-1 we could have seen the same game with a completely different result. But we didn’t so we have to take that.”
What’s next for Liverpool?
Thursday, April 18: Atalanta (A), Europa League, 8pm UK, 3pm ET
Liverpool is known for their European comebacks, but they face a tough task of overturning a 3-0 deficit against Atalanta in the Europa League quarter-finals.
If they fail, this could be the final European game of Klopp’s era… but if anyone can inspire a comeback, it’s him.
Recommended reading
(Top photo: Paul Ellis/AFP via Getty Images)