Liverpool leave Elland Road with 1 single point after a frustrating, if rather entertaining, match against Leeds United. Liverpool managed to jump ahead on the strength of two quick Hugo Ekitike strikes, only to fritter away the lead twice. Optimism says it’s better than a loss and it certainly looked – at least in the second half – like things were beginning to gel. And this was a Leeds side that took Manchester City right to the limit this past week. But it’s dropped points at a time where Liverpool are quickly in need of securing the maximum out of every result.
So. It’s perhaps a baby step forward. Let’s take a closer look at how we got here.
Winners and Losers
Winners
Hugo Ekitike
The French striker had been performing so well for France and, prior to a brief spell on the injured list and the arrival of striker Alexander Isak, had some success in a Liverpool shirt. But approximately two months without goals for the club are always going to loom large in any forward’s mind, no matter how mentally strong they are. Thankfully, Ekitike reminded fans exactly of his quality as he put home two goals just minutes apart in the early goings of the second half. Liverpool have needed to show some danger up front, their predictability and poor form combining to allow opposing sides to feel more comfortable just sitting deep and waiting for a chance to pounce. If both Ekitike and Wirtz can find form together, the Liverpool attack could look much more different going forward.
The Starting Midfield
For the time that Ryan Gravenberch, Curtis Jones, Dominik Szoboslai, and Florian Wirtz were on the pitch together, Liverpool’s base looked as solid as it’s been in some time. It wasn’t perfect, but it was clear that Daniel Farke’s side found it hard going in the middle of the pitch for the majority of the match – Leeds looked most dangerous attacking the flanks, particularly down the right. Gravenberch and Jones in particular deserve credit for doing the mop-up work in the back. It’s a real shame that we couldn’t make it count.
Losers
Arne Slot
More will be said below because it looks like the coach’s seat is now piping hot. But fans will be quite perplexed by why Liverpool continue to be undone by what feels like rather straight forward things. Some of it is certainly bad luck. And there’s something to be said about how that luck has manifested itself: freak moments, injuries that have prevented Slot from rotating/having gamechangers on the bench. But it must be said: Liverpool had on offer Alexis Mac Allister, Alexander Isak, and Mohamed Salah. It’s a bit of an indictment that the team looked less solid with Macca and Isak on. And, well, there’s the bit about leaving a legend like Salah completely on the bench…
Dissecting the Narrative
Liverpool’s set piece defending will once more be put under the microscope but when you pair it with Ibrahima Konate’s wild decision to go to ground, conceding the penalty that opened the scoring for Leeds, it all feels a bit like Groundhog Day: more poor results stemming from similar problem issues. It’s perhaps harsh to pull one (big) moment out of what was a decent day for Konate, but it feels all a bit of a pattern for the Frenchman: focus seems a bit off, leading to rash decisions on the pitch.
More worryingly, though, you can look to the seeming common thread of lapses across the whole team throughout this run of form – another that stood out from within this same game was the terrible pass that Szobo played which allowed for the move leading to the Leeds equalizer. The club looks bereft of ideas and seem to be shooting themselves in the foot.
How The Players/Manager Reacted
Mohamed Salah has opened up a discussion that – whether you agree with his doing so publicly or not – is likely to kick up a hornets nest. In a post-match interview with a crowd of reporters, the Egyptian winger and Anfield legend gave long and unvarnished comments regarding being benched for 3 straight matches. In particular, he indicated the following when asked about being on the bench:
“I’m very disappointed. I’ve done a lot for the club – everyone can see that, especially last year. Sitting on the bench – I don’t know why. It seems like the club is throwing me under the bus.”
Salah goes on to intimate that he’s perceiving a need to begin preparing goodbyes as he’s unsure as to what might transpire after the African Cup of Nations.
I indicated on social media that I was a bit shocked that Salah was on the bench. It was, in light of the situations in both of the last two matches, a seeming message that the club needed to look beyond one of its best ever players, a prolific goal scorer that will go down as one of the best of all-time in world football, to find their way out of this mess.
It is a confusing message, though, as Liverpool’s long-standing conundrum this season is a leaky defense that can’t seem to get out of its way nor avoid being momentarily cursed by the footballing gods. Sometimes both. Salah’s inclusion in the game wouldn’t have papered over those issues.
But while Slot might get some rope in that direction, I doubt he’ll get much more unless he puts on a run that not only shows he knows what the issues are, but also confirms he’s right to alienate the club’s biggest, proven star. In truth, there are already fans that have given up that ghost and have actively indicated a desire for Slot to be replaced.
What Happens Next
Liverpool don’t have much time to lick their wounds as they travel to the San Siro to face Inter Milan in the Champions League on Tuesday. Liverpool’s inconsistent roster takes a minor hit when they return to Premier League action on the weekend with Conor Bradley out for the match against Brighton due to yellow card accumulation.
