Talk about a game of two halves! Liverpool’s woes looked set to be going from bad to worse when they fell behind to a Scott Arfield opener at a predictably raucous Ibrox on Wednesday evening.
It’s somewhat indicative of Liverpool’s fall from grace that they went into Sunday’s game against Arsenal as the underdog. And that position was justified by a 2-3 defeat in which the Reds were often second best.
The game between Liverpool and Rangers on Tuesday evening was a moment of history – it was the first time that these storied clubs had ever met in a competitive game. And the contest had another slice of rarity about it: this was one of the first times in seven years at the helm that Jurgen Klopp had deviated from his trusted 4-3-3 formation.
Liverpool’s increasingly fragile confidence was clear for all to see as they went 0-2 down after 17 minutes against weekend opponents Brighton.
You could attribute some of that slow start to a 28-day gap since their last Premier League outing, but the Reds’ previously formidable backline has looked increasingly easy to cut through this term, and Leandro Trossard took full advantage in the early going at Anfield.
By the time Liverpool run out onto the pitch at Anfield on Saturday, it will have been a full 18 days since they last engaged in competitive football. Is that a good thing? Only time will tell, although you suspect Jurgen Klopp will have been happy to hand a rest to some of his injury-ravaged stars.
With Saturday’s game against Wolves postponed, it has given the Liverpool players and coaching staff time to reflect on what has been a below-par start to the campaign.
Points have been dropped liberally in the Premier League, and while it would be foolhardy to suggest that the Reds’ race is run already as far as the title is concerned, it will take a fantastic effort to reel in the Erling Haaland-powered Manchester City.
It’s a game that Liverpool fans present will forever remember as the nightmare in Naples. Be under no illusions, the 1-4 scoreline did not flatter Napoli as they laid siege to the Reds’ goal in their Champions League clash on Wednesday evening, and it would not be unjust to suggest that the Italians could and perhaps should have scored more.
Liverpool’s chances of recapturing the Premier League crown took another hit on Saturday with more dropped points. The goalless draw at Goodison Park was an entertaining affair, but Jurgen Klopp will be left ruing the fact that his players hit the Everton woodwork on three separate occasions through Mo Salah, Darwin Nunez and Luis Dias, while effervescent substitute Bobby Firmino forced Jordan Pickford to make a catalogue of good saves.
The cheer that greeted Fabio Carvalho’s 98th minute winner against Newcastle United on Wednesday was as loud as anything witnessed at Anfield in some time. That’s perhaps testament to how far the Magpies have come since they welcomed the Saudi blood money, sorry, investment into the club, but also there was a sense of relief for Liverpool fans that their team’s dominance was finally rewarded with practically the last kick of the game.
Well, to say that was unexpected is something of an understatement. Liverpool went from on the ropes to equalling the record Premier League win in a matter of days, with the rampant Reds slamming nine goals past a hapless Bournemouth side.