No Eze games as Palace shock signals beginning of end for Klopp
Liverpool are in the land of hope more than glory in their title pursuit. Every defeated challenger can point to a game which they reflect upon as the beginning of the end. This felt like that moment for Jurgen Klopp.
A home loss to Crystal Palace has surrendered the advantage to Manchester City, and left the Kop praying for the same meltdown which has afflicted Anfield over the past four days.
Liverpool’s desperate bid to save themselves possessed all the trademark flaws of a contender seeing their dream vaporise; panic and anxiety, wasted chances, inexplicable defensive blocks and the silent realisation upon the final whistle that even if it is not technically over, the sense of foreboding is overwhelming.
Liverpool carry too many scars from previous skirmishes with City and will anticipate they will be duly punished for this implosion.
They like to say “this means more” at Liverpool, but perhaps this time it is all starting to mean too much.
Eight days ago they were top, readying themselves to pepper Manchester United’s goal with 32 shots and still pursuing a treble. And not just any treble. Jurgen’s farewell treble. The treble to be remembered on an open bus tour in May, closing the book on a rejuvenating era. The treble that was going to make the job even more daunting for Klopp’s successor.
Five dropped points and a humiliating European defeat later, and Liverpool are one more poor Premier League result from being compelled to consider life post-Klopp sooner than they imagined.
Whether results elsewhere reopen the door or not, even the most optimistic Liverpool supporters know they are no longer admiring a team that resembles champions-in-waiting.
They have been defying the odds to keep pace with City and Arsenal for a while. Now they look tanked. Their quality to be a nightmare to play against has left them at the least opportune moment.
Dent
It is not without added poignancy that Crystal Palace inflicted such a dent in Liverpool’s ambitions.
Palace were the first team to beat a Liverpool side managed by Klopp at Anfield, shortly after he took over in 2015. They were also the last to do so before Klopp led Liverpool into the Champions League and embarked on a three-year run without losing their own stadium.
Now they may have bookmarked it with what could be the last home defeat of his reign. If it costs the title, no others have been so damaging.
Maybe everyone should have seen it coming. We are nearing the 10th anniversary of the last time Palace effectively ended Liverpool’s title bid with the ‘Crystanbul’ night to deny Steven Gerrard and Luis Suarez.
Palace coach Oliver Glasner had no need for Dwight Gayle when he could reunite Michael Olise and Eberechi Eze.
They dazzled and tormented whenever in possession, especially in the first half.
Palace would be higher up the table and Roy Hodgson would probably be still in a job if the duo had played more, but it will be to Glasner’s immense benefit so long as he can use them. Olise’s first start for over two months underlined his extraordinary potential.
“The medical department brought him back in fantastic shape,” said Glasner. “Every team in the world needs their best players and Michael is a very good player.”
The Palace wide players were considerably more effective than Liverpool’s. Mo
Salah and Luis Diaz have been huffing and puffing without penetrating for a while.
Darwin Nunez has begun to resemble Djibril Cisse more than peak Fernando Torres – too erratic, too unreliable and too often offside to justify the occasional moments of marvel.
So often the Liverpool front three have been able to disguise the lingering flaws of a side which began the season in development, seemed to mature quicker than anticipated mid-season, but has now regressed at the moment of truth.
When Klopp sent on a half-fit Diogo Jota and Trent Alexander-Arnold in the second half, Liverpool created enough opportunities to launch a comeback, every ricochet lucklessly drifting off target. Curtis Jones also buried his head when somehow firing wide when oneon-one with Dean Henderson.
But they were equally vulnerable to counter-attacks, The only, scant consolation for Liverpool is their defeat did not contain a reconstruction of the Demba Ba moment so synonymous with 2014.
Andy Robertson spared Virgil van Dijk a lifetime of unwanted replays for a slip with an acrobatic goal-line clearance to deny Jean-Philippe Mateta before half-time.
The Scottish captain was the only home player to turn up with his ‘A’ game.
Liverpool will need a miracle in Europe in midweek. The points tally may suggest otherwise, but without a radical upturn in form they will need the same to win the Premier League. (© Telegraph Media Group Ltd, 2024)