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Liverpool drew with Everton 0-0 at the Goodison Park to fall behind Manchester City in the title race of the Premier League. Liverpool now have 70 points from 29 matches, whereas City have 71 from the same number of matches.
It was Liverpool’s 3rd goalless draw in their last 4 matches, and pointed out the weaknesses in their attack yet again. Last Wednesday’s 5-0 win against lowly Watford notwithstanding, Liverpool have struggled to score in most of their recent matches. As a result, they are now at a risk of being eliminated from the UEFA Champions League, and also surrendering the Premier League title to City.
We now take a look at the 3 reasons why Liverpool have failed to score in most of their recent matches:
#1 Over dependence on Mohamed Salah
Salah, last year’s PFA player of the year, has been considerably successful this year too, and has already scored 20 goals this season. However, he has not been able to score in any of Liverpool’s last 4 matches, and his lack of form is a matter of concern for Jurgen Klopp at such a crucial juncture.
The Liverpool midfielders and defenders also quite typically play balls forward to Salah on the right flank, and expect him to find a way to score through the opposition defence. As a result, most of the opposition defenders plan accordingly in order to stop him. Luke Shaw and Victor Lindelof combined to stop him in the match against Manchester United, while David Alaba did the same in the match against Bayern.
The Liverpool midfielders could try playing some long balls to Sadio Mane on the left flank for a change. It could surprise the opposition defenders to some extent, and also allow Salah some breathing space. It is quite evident that he is somewhat overburdened with the pressure of expectations.
Salah is one of the best attacking players in the world right now, but Liverpool must look at some other options in their attack to solve their goal-scoring problems. Klopp could even think of dropping Salah from the playing eleven for once, and start with Xherdan Shaqiri on the right wing.
#2 Not experimenting with the combinations up front
Sadio Mane scored a brace against Watford last Wednesday, and seems to enjoy a central role in Liverpool’s attack. He has natural goal-scoring instincts, and should be tried as a centre-forward on a regular basis. Roberto Firmino, Liverpool’s main striker, has scored 11 goals in 32 matches this season, and can hardly be relied upon to solve their goal-drought.
Therefore, Mane could probably play as the centre-forward, and Divock Origi could play as the left winger for Liverpool in some of their next matches. Origi is an exciting young player with consummate skills and pace, and should provide the Reds with a better option in attack.
It would be interesting to see whether Klopp makes any change in the attacking combination of his team in the next few matches, including the crucial one against Bayern in Munich. Time is running out for Liverpool, and the next one month would be crucial in determining how good the current season will be for them.
#3 Playing too many defensive players in midfield
Liverpool have been playing too many defensive players in their midfield in their last few matches. Fabinho has been reasonably good from them this season, but he does not have any attacking instincts. Jordan Henderson and James Milner, both of whom played against Everton, are also defensive players primarily, and do not usually make any significant attacking contribution.
Klopp would have to find the perfect balance between defence and attack, and should think of playing players like Shaqiri and Adam Lallana more often. Lallana’s inclusion adds impetus and creativity to Liverpool’s attack, but he has played in only 8 matches this season. He is a very good dribbler and passer, and can prove to be decisive in crunch matches.
Liverpool should think of making a few changes in their midfield combination in the upcoming matches to take care of their goal-scoring troubles.
