Analysis: Liverpool’s midfield conundrum

For a while now, it has felt as though Liverpool have been assembling what could best be described as a Swiss Army midfield.  Jurgen Klopp has referenced it recently. Firstly, against Chelsea, he implied that James Milner got the nod ahead of Naby Keita for his leadership qualities and not for footballing reasons.  Then, ahead of...

“It could have been a different story” – Milner laments Liverpool’s loss to Real Madrid

James Milner says everyone at Liverpool has been left rueing their poor first-leg display which led to their Champions League exit. Jürgen Klopp's Reds lost 3-1 away to Real Madrid last week after a very poor performance on the night - a defeat they were unable to bounce back from on Wednesday at Anfield. Despite an...

Ample Positives For Liverpool To Take Despite European Exit

Liverpool bowed out of the Champions League at the quarter-final stage after a 0-0 draw with Real Madrid at Anfield on Wednesday night. Trailing 3-1 from the first leg, the Reds -- despite creating ample chances -- were unable to prize open the stubborn defence of the visitors and, for the second year running, they...

Leeds vs Liverpool – Energetic tussle expected at Elland Road on Monday

THE DETAILS Venue – Elland Road, Leeds Referee – Anthony Taylor Date & Time – Monday, April 19th @ 20:00 Current Odds – Leeds 7/2, Draw 10/3, Liverpool 4/6 ________________________________________________________ And then there was one... all focus must now turn to Liverpool's domestic duties over the next five weeks. A top-four finish is certainly doable but you would have to say...

“That will not happen” – Klopp rubbishes notion that Champions League exit could negatively impact remainder of Liverpool’s season

Jürgen Klopp insists Liverpool's Champions League exit will not impact their performance for the remainder of the season. Klopp's Reds drew 0-0 with Real Madrid at Anfield last night, a result that meant Liverpool lost 3-1 on aggregate after a poor first-leg performance in Spain last week. Speaking after the match, Klopp was quick to rubbish...

Toothless Liverpool Exit Champions League After Real Madrid Stalemate

Liverpool exited the Champions League after a 0-0 draw against Real Madrid at Anfield. Trailing 3-1 from the first tie, the Reds battered the Spaniards for 90 minutes, but couldn't find a way to goal against the deep sitting and disciplined Spaniards. Despite creating several good openings, the home team -- with Mohamed Salah particularly guilty...

Will this be Liverpool’s starting eleven to face Real Madrid tonight at Anfield?

Liverpool meet Real Madrid at Anfield tonight in the second leg of their Champions League quarter-final clash. Jürgen Klopp's men are 3-1 down from the first leg last week in Spain. That leaves Liverpool with a huge mountain to climb if they are to progress to the semi-finals and a likely date with Premier League...

Analysis: Why Alexander-Arnold must stay at right-back for Liverpool

It is a yearly occurrence now. It doesn’t matter what Trent Alexander-Arnold does, talk inevitably turns to whether or not he should be doing whatever it is he’s doing from the centre of the pitch.  If he’s bossing things from the right, the narrative seems to be but imagine what he could do from centre-midfield.  Alternatively,...

Liverpool defender delighted Reds showed fight to bounce back after going behind against Villa

Liverpool defender Nat Phillips was delighted with how The Reds battled back from a goal down to take all three points against Aston Villa. Phillips was at the heart of Liverpool's back four alongside Ozan Kabak again. They were unable to prevent Ollie Watkins from putting the visitors ahead in the first half. It was...

4231 Formation The Next Tactical Port of Call For Liverpool

Ever since the beginning of the 2016/2017 season, Jurgen Klopp has almost consistently lined Liverpool up in a 433 formation. The only exception came in the winter of the 2018/2019 season when the Reds lined up in a 4231 shape. In that reshuffle, Mohamed Salah played as the teams' focal point, with Roberto Firmino dropping...

Liverpool vs Real Madrid Preview – Mammoth task awaits Reds at empty Anfield

THE DETAILS   Venue - Anfield, Liverpool Referee - Björn Kuipers (NED) Date & Time - Wednesday, April 14th 2021 @ 20:00 Current Odds - Liverpool 10/11, Draw 29/10, Real Madrid 13/5 _____________________________________________________________________ While we all know better than to ever completely write Liverpool off, it's hard to see how The Reds can defy the odds again without that famous Anfield...

Tactical Breakdown: Liverpool 2-1 Aston Villa

Premier League champions Liverpool won their first home game since Christmas, as they beat Aston Villa 2-1, courtesy of a late strike by Alexander-Arnold. Systems Liverpool played in a 4-3-3, with Roberto Firmino returning to the forward line in place of Sadio Mané. Fabinho and Gini Wijnaldum retained their starting places and were partnered with James...

Klopp says Liverpool must continue to “strike back” for remainder of this “bumpy season”

Jürgen Klopp insists that Liverpool must continue to "strike back" if they are to salvage something from this "bumpy season". The Reds had to fight for a come-from-behind victory against Aston Villa at Anfield on Saturday in the Premier League. The win brought an end to a six-game losing streak for Klopp's side at their...

Liverpool Keep Top Four Hopes Alive With Win Over Villa

Liverpool's Champions League qualification hopes received a huge boost after a late 2-1 victory over Aston Villa at Anfield. The Reds trailed 1-0 to an Ollie Watkins goal at halftime, but rallied through a Mohamed Salah goal, and then, with time running out, Alexander Arnold sealed the three points with time running out with a...

Liverpool Miss Henderson Influence In Maximising Alexander Arnold Ability

After Liverpool's 3-1 Champions League quarter-final first-leg defeat away to Real Madrid last week, many fans bemoaned Jordan Henderson's absence. The club captain will be out for an unspecified amount of time after undergoing surgery on an abductor injury he suffered in the Merseyside derby in February. In the Madrid loss, the Reds -- rather uncharacteristically...

Tactical Breakdown: Real Madrid 3-1 Liverpool

Real Madrid won 3-1 against Liverpool at the Estadio Alfredo Di Stéfano in the UEFA Champions League quarter finals, leaving them favourites to progress to the next round. Systems Despite Madrid missing both starting centrebacks and Eden Hazard, the home side set up in a 4-3-3. When in possession, Toni Kroos dropped into a sweeper position as the...

Will this be Liverpool’s starting lineup to play Aston Villa on Saturday?

Liverpool are at home to Aston Villa in the Premier League this weekend. What starting lineup will Jürgen Klopp go with for this game? The Reds have lost their last six league fixtures at Anfield and they were beaten 7-2 by Aston Villa the last time the sides met back in October. Confidence had been returning...

Much Maligned Firmino Missed In UnIntense Liverpool Loss

Let's face it, Roberto Firmino -- at least in front of goal -- has regressed as a player over the course of the last two seasons. From a record high 0f 15 Premier League goals in the 2017/2018 season, the Brazilian's numbers have steadily dropped and he finds himself on eight league goals this season,...

Liverpool vs Aston Villa Preview – Reds face Villa in first of two consecutive season-defining games

THE DETAILS Venue – Anfield, Liverpool Referee – Paul Tierney Date & Time – Saturday, April 10th @ 15:00 Current Odds – Liverpool 11/20, Draw 16/5, Aston Villa 5/1 ________________________________________________________ Liverpool are battling to keep their season alive these days. A slight upturn in form has seen hopes of a top-four finish rekindled at Anfield. On Tuesday night, The Reds'...

The Trent Alexander-Arnold Myth

It’s 2021 and people are still claiming that Trent Alexander-Arnold can’t defend. It is beyond boring now and is arguably one of the laziest narratives in world football.  It all stems from that match against Manchester United when Marcus Rashford scored twice.  People always overlook the fact that Dejan Lovren allowed Romelu Lukaku a free header...

Liverpool midfielder agrees Reds lost Champions League tie in “really intense” first half

Gini Wijnaldum knows that Liverpool's defeat in Madrid on Tuesday was down mainly to a below-par first-half performance from The Reds. A dire showing from Jürgen Klopp's men in the opening half of Tuesday night's game against Real Madrid saw Liverpool go in 2-0 down at the break. Mohamed Salah pulled one back in the...

Liverpool away in Europe: Klopp’s Achilles heel

All the greats have a weakness - nobody is perfect. You can apply that to any walk of life. From a footballing perspective, you can look at any all-time legend and pick holes in their genius, whether it be Lionel Messi's curious inconsistency from the penalty spot or Alex Ferguson only winning the Champions League...

When did Liverpool’s tactics become so predictable?

I’m sure I’ve written the start of this article about a million times this season – but here we are again. Another game, another disappointment or so it seems with this Liverpool side that lulled us into a false sense of security with a convincing win over Arsenal last weekend. Against Real Madrid however, it was...

Analysis: What went wrong against Real Madrid?

Whenever Liverpool lose, there's always a bit of a scramble for someone to come up with a definitive answer as to why it happened. It doesn't necessarily have to be the right answer, just the first one. After all, it's easier to process and accept if there's only one issue. We've all heard about how...

“We didn’t deserve to win tonight” – Klopp disappointed in poor Reds performance in Madrid

Liverpool boss Jürgen Klopp admits his side was second-best against Real Madrid in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final. First-half goals from Vinícius Júnior and Marco Asensio put the home team 2-0 up at the break after a dreadful Liverpool performance in the first half. The Reds played better in the second half...

Real Madrid 3-1 Liverpool: Observations as Vinicius dents improbable dream

Mohamed Salah's away goal means a 2-0 win at Anfield will see Liverpool qualify for the Champions League semifinals. The '2' is feasible but, after a hapless defensive display, the 'nil' less so. The strong likelihood is that Jurgen Klopp's dark horses will fall at this fence. They were incredibly poor in the first half...

Lacklustre Liverpool On Champions League Knife Edge After Madrid Defeat

Liverpool's Champions League hopes are on a knife-edge after a 3-1 defeat away to Real Madrid. The hosts took a 2-0 lead half-time through goals from Vinicius Junior and Marco Asensio in a dominant 45-minute display. The Reds improved in the second period and half the deficit to 2-1 after Mohamed Salah scored, but any...

Will this be Liverpool’s starting lineup to play Real Madrid tonight?

Liverpool and Real Madrid meet tonight in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final clash in Spain. Who will start for The Reds? Jürgen Klopp's men will be high on confidence after another impressive win on Saturday night when they beat Arsenal 3-0 at the Emirates Stadium. Diogo Jota came off the bench to...

Tactical Breakdown: Arsenal 0-3 Liverpool

Liverpool won 3-0 at the Emirates, to breathe life back into their hopes of redeeming their league campaign, with goals from Diogo Jota and Mohamed Salah. Systems Mikel Arteta's Arsenal set up in a 4-2-3-1 on ball shape, and a 4-5-1 off ball system. Thomas Partey and Dani Ceballos were paired together in a double-pivot. Martin Ødegaard...

The Highest Rated Liverpool Players in FIFA 21

FIFA 21 has been out for a few months now, and Liverpool fans are busy indulging in their love for the game before the next season of Premier League starts. Liverpool has some of the best players in the league, and naturally, you can assume that these players are given elite stats that represent...