Liverpool defied the odds to drop points against Tottenham Hotspur at Anfield on Sunday, conceding in the 90th minute to grant a relegation-threatened team a point.
Igor Tudor’s Spurs are in a fierce relegation battle, and so on paper, they were not likely to beat Liverpool. Yet, this is not the Liverpool that strolled to its 20th league title last season.
Arne Slot shocked pundits and fans alike last season, winning the title in his first season in charge. Now near the climax of his second season at the helm, it feels more plausible that his success last season had as much to do with his own managerial ability as it did with the lingering Jurgen Klopp effect.
In all fairness to Tottenham, they gave a strong account of themselves, constantly driving forward to threaten Liverpool’s weak defensive shape.
In equal fairness to Liverpool, they should not be this poor, having spent nearly half a billion pounds in the summer on signing elite new talent that Slot has simply failed to utilise correctly.
Hindsight is 20-20, but starting the club’s best midfielder (Szoboszlai) at right back while playing an actual right back (Frimpong) on the right wing while benching the best right winger in the Premier League (Salah) makes zero sense.
Liverpool looked infinitely more threatening once Salah entered the fray, but the sooner Slot returns Szoboszlai to midfield and ends his right back experiment the better.
Having seen Chelsea and Aston Villa drop points, Liverpool wasted yet another crucial opportunity to climb back into the top four and Champions League qualification places. The Reds did climb a place into fifth, leapfrogging Chelsea, but with Liverpool set to play the Blues in late May, it’s a wasted opportunity to put some daylight between them.
Perhaps the biggest indictment of Liverpool’s season is that Manchester United – who were wasting away under Ruben Amorim – are now favourites to finish third in the league.
Just eight games remain to Liverpool in their hunt for Champions League football for next season. Three of those games will come against United, Chelsea and Aston Villa – all three games will be played in succession.
This means Liverpool have a chance to overturn their fortunes in spectacularly late fashion, but their form suggests they would struggle to win even one of those three games.
Calls for Slot to be fired will intensify this week, particularly if the Dutchman fails to coach his team to a comeback Champions League Ro16 victory over Galatasaray at Anfield.
