Finishing Strong

It’s been a few days since Liverpool’s underwhelming display at the Craven Cottage. The Reds suffered just their second loss in the Premier League this season. Fans like myself are slightly perplexed with how the Reds conducted their business on the pitch. The defeat to PSG in the Champions League and lackluster performance in the League Cup final catalyzed what’s been the first extended tough spell for Arne Slot’s men this season. It reached that point where the fan base agreed that the international break arrived perfectly for the reeling Reds. Unfortunately, it hasn’t necessarily been the return to form we’ve hoped. Nevertheless, the goal is to finish strong over the final stretch of the Premier League season.

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A Sizable Cushion…For Now

The defeat at Fulham leaves the Reds eleven points clear at the top with seven games to go. Not exactly a perilous position, but still a wasted opportunity to go fourteen points clear. It stings just that wee bit more with Arsenal only managing to draw with Everton. Liverpool has their strong form in the first three-quarters of the season to thank for having a gap so sizable. They truly proved to be far and away the best team in the Premier League.

The cost of the Fulham loss isn’t as damaging as it could be in different circumstances. But with the pride of the Liverpool players being what it is, they’d want to finish off the campaign strong with the maximum points possible further cementing their status as runaway leaders. The narrow win against Everton was a good start. However, the Reds simply cannot afford to give Arsenal any hope to close out the season. They have to ensure this Fulham loss remains a one-off.

Maintaining The Standard

Any Premier League fan with common sense knows that the league is practically done. Even before the loss to Fulham, Liverpool were comfortably ahead of second-placed Arsenal with a decent run of games to close out the season. At this point, though, it isn’t about winning the league anymore. It’s about ensuring that the side continues to show its quality on the way to lifting title number 20, rather than limping to the finish line. Make no mistake, the first eleven have looked incredibly leggy over the last few games, particularly the midfield of Ryan Gravenberch and Alexis Mac Allister.

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The energy levels throughout the pitch have dropped. It looks like many are paying the price for the minimal squad rotation we’ve been calling for throughout the season. In a glass-half-full sort of perspective, this difficult stretch can serve to highlight the true weaknesses in the squad that should, at least in theory, be addressed this summer.

Looking Ahead

I think it goes without saying that Virgil van Dijk lifting the Premier League trophy is going to be the moment of the season for 100% of Liverpool fans. It’ll be a fitting end to a season where the squad has easily surpassed all expectations. That being said, this summer is going to be a massive one. The aforementioned weaknesses the club has displayed lately illustrate areas that need to be addressed throughout the squad. As Liverpool fans, that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t enjoy the moment though. The Fulham loss was a setback. But our first league loss since September barely dents a strong first year for Arne Slot. Seven games to go, eleven points clear. Let’s ride the wave gents. There’s still a league title to win.