Liverpool’s season is sliding off the rails and the reason is clear

Arne Slot’s favourite players looked fatigued in their Carabao Cup final defeat at Wembley and the manager must learn some vital lessons from a campaign losing momentum

The Carabao Cup had been lifted by Bruno Guimaraes and Kieran Trippier, Eddie Howe drenched in alcohol by Joelinton and the black-and-white hordes were starting to disperse when a manager reflected on a historic first. Not the victorious one, though. “It took us seven, eight, nine months to lose twice in a row,” said Arne Slot. It is perhaps not a statistic to echo through the ages like Newcastle’s 70-year wait for domestic silverware or the 56-year gap between claiming any major honour.

It was nevertheless a way of illustrating Liverpool’s consistency this season. Slot’s pragmatic explanation underlined why trebles are rarities; within a week, Liverpool’s disappeared, replaced by a solitary pursuit of the Premier League. “You know if you go further into tournaments that the opposition get stronger and stronger and even Liverpool can lose games,” he added. It was notable he referred to Paris Saint-Germain, their first conquerors this week, as the best team in Europe.

That tag was applied to Liverpool in autumn. They haven’t looked it in March. They were distinctly second best in the first leg against PSG, albeit while winning it, and again against Newcastle in the Carabao Cup final. Perhaps the French champions softened Liverpool up for Newcastle, exhausting them by making them run for 120 minutes, further depressing them with Gianluigi Donnarumma’s excellence in the penalty shootout.

Liverpool were outplayed by Newcastle at Wembley (Getty)

Liverpool looked drained at Wembley, even if Slot disagreed. “Were we on Tuesday mentally or physically tired?” he asked. “No. This game had nothing to do with running, only to do with duels.” Newcastle’s bruising physicality equipped them to win them. Liverpool looked overpowered in midfield.

That can be a consequence of facing Sandro Tonali, Bruno Guimaraes and Joelinton. But it also highlights Liverpool’s workload. Alexis Mac Allister had one of his most ineffective games. Ryan Gravenberch was a revelation before Christmas but has only found that form sporadically since then. Gravenberch began 21 club games last season, just six the previous year. His 41st start for Liverpool this season came at Wembley.

Gravenberch, who could have been confined to a bit-part role this season if summer target Martin Zubimendi had joined, has instead been their third most-used player. He was taken off at Wembley with 3,516 minutes to his name this season, behind only – inevitably – Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah. Mac Allister, who may not be built for such a schedule, is next with 3,081. Slot had called Dominik Szoboszlai a “machine” but the Hungarian looked like one whose battery was running down against Southampton last week. Like Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andy Robertson, Szoboszlai has played over 2,800 minutes this season. Luis Diaz and Ibrahima Konate have passed 2,700.

Continuity has brought consistency and a commanding lead in the title race. Yet Slot’s preference for working with a small core of around 14 or 15 risks them becoming fatigued at the same time. It may have been coincidence that their liveliest, albeit rashest, starter at Wembley was Jarell Quansah, who would have been a substitute if Alexander-Arnold were fit, or that their goal came from a combination of the underused. Harvey Elliott has played just 583 minutes this season, Federico Chiesa just 387. The forgotten man showed a sharpness others have lost.

Salah’s season has been sensational but his only goals in his last five games were penalties against lowly Southampton; his impact over 300 minutes against PSG and Newcastle in the last two weeks has been insufficient. Yet in turn, that underlined how Liverpool have become overreliant on him. Diaz’s recent return stands at one goal in 18 games, Diogo Jota’s at none in 10. The Portuguese, who was poor against PSG, is performing in such a way to suggest that centre-forward is a position where Liverpool are in most need of an upgrade.

Liverpool’s stars have been missing some sharpness in recent weeks (Action Images/Reuters)

Arne Slot consoles Virgil van Dijk at full time (AFP/Getty)

And if Slot may need to trust his squad players more next season, in turn keeping his premier performers fresher for longer, the mitigating factor is that these are not his squad players: not even Chiesa, who arrived on his watch. He did not buy any of them. A summer of change could shape a squad more to his liking. For now, though, in Elliott and Chiesa, Darwin Nunez and Wataru Endo, he has four players he rarely trusts to start, much as he admires the Japan midfielder’s professionalism and attitude. The Englishman feels particularly unlucky. The Uruguayan’s Anfield career seems to be nearing an end. The Italian’s future may rest on Salah’s but he presumably cannot endure another season like this.

Liverpool have found much to cherish in their campaign but it seems, in very different circumstances, that they are hitting the wall at the same time as they did last year. It may render it just as well that the context has changed. It could be just as well they have a 12-point lead: a side who were even lethargic in the first half against Southampton have fewer guarantees of victory but only need a maximum of 16 points. It will give them just a second league title in 35 years; Newcastle do not have a monopoly on long waits. But if Slot wants to win it twice in a row, some lessons from Wembley may be required if Liverpool are to look stronger at the business end of next season.