Liverpool experienced an unprecedented fall in the pursuit of their title race. The Merseyside club fell off from a point of title favorites to top 4 contenders. All this happened in April after encountering a handful amount of point drop-through losses and draws.
Liverpool had finished the month of March on the top of the table, after a 2-1 win over Brighton. They were already deemed favorites for winning both the League and Europa. Then, the April storm came.
Their first game in April ended in their favor with a hard-fought 3-1 win. However, they went ahead and faced an inconsistent Manchester United. They managed to salvage a draw in the late minutes at Old Trafford.
The draw at Old Trafford marked the beginning of Liverpool’s downfall. 2 losses and 2 draws in league games in April saw them slip to 3rd with 4 five points behind 2nd. And a marginal loss at Europa sent them out of the tournament.
Liverpool’s Downfall in April
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After their draw against United on the 7th, They hosted Atlanta 4 days later in the Europa League. Somehow the Reds found themselves stumbling to a 3-0 defeat at home. It was the first-ever loss at Anfield in over 365 days.
After the Atlanta loss, it didn’t get any better, they hosted Crystal Palace and it was like a nightmare. Anfield was conquered again. Liverpool mysteriously lost 1-0 at home. Somehow they looked to create enough chances to win the game, but they couldn’t score any.
Their return leg against Atlanta saw them manage a 1-0 win. Their next game was against Fulham. It birthed hope for them as they defeated Fulham 3-1. Moreover, in less than 3 days, they were stunned again by their fierce Merseyside rival. They lost 2-0 at Everton.
They soon traveled to London to play the Hammers in their 3rd consecutive away game. It could have brought some hope. But a late goal stalemated the game for them. They ended up with a 2-2 draw. This summed up their horrors in April.
Mystery Behind Their Losses
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In their last game, some signs manifested in the late minutes. There was little rift between Liverpool star Mohammed Salah and Jurgen Klopp. This showed how frustrating the month had been for them. However, Klopp has tried to manage the conferences and questions relating to their performance. Yet he still looked clueless on the team’s sudden fall.
Nonetheless, there are some notable things to sight concerning this occurrence in the Liverpool team
Fatigue
The majority of the Liverpool players ventured into the 2023/2024 season in full throttle. Liverpool pulled through a length of games without any loss. The first loss they had was questionable due to poor officiating.
However, as time went by, some of the players became fatigued, some became injured, and in return, they showed heavy signs of fatigue. Although, since the beginning till April, they’ve been scrapping out wins. But there’s a possibility that Fatigue overwhelmed some of them during the April period
Injuries
Liverpool have struggled with the fitness of a lot of key players. From the end of last year down to this year. They’ve been battling over the fitness of some major players. Although they returned, it seemed that most lost the intensity they left with before their injury.
Klopp’s planned departure.
Klopp announced his departure in early January. It aroused strong motivation and influenced the team’s performance. So far, they were able to win the Carabao Cup.
Nevertheless, the effect might have worn off as time elapsed. This might have left some of the players complacent about their remaining games.
Media Expectations
A lot has been said about Liverpool winning all the most possible trophies this season. Especially the famous quadruple. This was based on their form this season. They’ve been showing strong signs since the beginning of the season that they could do it until April’s catastrophe.
Somehow the noise of the quadruple and the high expectations of the media might have been the distraction. This in return might have placed strong pressure on the players to perform in the way they should.
Form loss
Overall, it was certain that the majority of their players experienced a dip in form. This loss of form might be due to injuries, high expectations, and fatigue.
As it stands for them, the League is out of the way. The only option is if possibly, a freak of nature happens. This is in the form of their other contenders squandering points in their remaining games. However, they also have to pick up their start-of-season form. But then that’ll take a miracle.
More hurdles ahead
Liverpool will host Tottenham Hotspur in their next Premier League game. The following week, they’ll travel to Villa Park to play Aston Villa. On the last day, Liverpool will host wolves
An extremely tough back-to-back fixture for them before the last day. However, the team might not be pressured as they know the League hopes seem faded.
About the Author
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