Liverpool’s 2022/23 season: What’s left for Jurgen Klopp and the boys?
In a bizarre change of circumstances, Liverpool now find themselves struggling to secure top four football ahead of a particularly challenging fixture list in April.
As such, if you’re engaging in point spread betting, you might want to shy away from Jurgen Klopp’s men for the remainder of the term whilst their difficulties on the pitch persist.
The Merseysiders currently find themselves 6th in the league standings behind Eddie Howe’s overperforming Newcastle outfit having played 26 games, won 12, lost eight, and drew six, securing 42 points out of a possible 78.
That all being said, still qualifying for Champions League football next term remains more than a possibility with 12 top-flight games to play for.
Premier League and top four hopes
With roughly 10 games left for almost all the teams in the ongoing 2022/23 English Premier League season, there is still hope for some sides to finish in the top four and secure their admission for next season’s UEFA Champions League.
Arsenal have defied the expectations of many a pundit and fan, holding an eight-point lead on second-placed Manchester City (who hold a game in hand on the Gunners).
Manchester United (3rd) and Tottenham Hotspur (4th) hold down the remaining top four spots, whilst Liverpool find themselves in sixth-place, five points behind Newcastle (5th).
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No domestic competition left
Liverpool are also among the teams out of every domestic competition following their elimination from the FA Cup on January 29th when they faced Brighton & Hove Albion away from home.
During the game, Liverpool’s Harvey Elliot scored from Mo Salah’s ball in the 30th minute to secure the opener but the visitors couldn’t hold back an electric Seagulls outfit supercharged by the ever-persistent threat of Kaoru Mitoma.
The Reds’ exit in the Carabao Cup came a month earlier, thanks to a 3-2 defeat to Manchester City. However, it was the Etihad-dwelling outfit’s city rivals, Manchester United, who ended up lifting the silverware after beating Newcastle United by a 2-0 scoreline in the final.
The UCL and Real Madrid: Another disappointing tie
The clearest indication of Liverpool’s need for investment perhaps arose most recently from a highly disappointing and lacklustre show against Real Madrid at the Bernabeu as the hosts easily controlled a guileless Reds outfit.
It was a point Klopp appeared to wholly agree with in his post-match comments (relayed by liverpoolfc.com): “We came here with the backpack we had with the three goals difference. You need a special performance and we didn’t show a special performance tonight. It was, in moments, a good performance, but Real Madrid was, for the whole game, the team in control of the game.”
The first leg offered what would turn out to be false hope as a dominant display from the German tactician’s men handed the Merseysiders a well-deserved 2-0 lead within the opening 20 minutes of action before Carlo Ancelotti’s unflappable men rallied to secure a 5-2 win at L4.
What we think about the team going forward
We know it won’t be delightful for a team like Liverpool not to finish in the top four at the end of the season.
It’s also worth considering the potential ramifications on the side’s ability to recruit top talent, both from a financial and attraction perspective.
We’ll have to hope that Howe’s men struggle to maintain form towards the end of the season and that Tottenham’s change of manager fails to galvanise the club ahead of a crunch period of fixtures.
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