Arne Slot faces the biggest challenge of his Liverpool reign so far following the Reds’ Champions League exit at the hands of Paris Saint-Germain. Boasting a 1-0 aggregate lead courtesy of their smash-and-grab victory at the Parc des Princes last week, his side were favourites to progress to the quarter-finals heading into the second leg.
While the Ligue 1 giants had dominated in Paris, an Anfield European night is a very different affair. Yet, try as they might, Liverpool were left frustrated against the Parisians as they suffered a deflating exit.
In truth, it proved to be a nightmare, worst case scenario for Slot the longer the night unfolded. The Reds suffered defeat after a gruelling 120 minutes to exit the competition prematurely, and also lost Trent Alexander-Arnold to a serious-looking ankle injury.
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Hardly the ideal preparation for Sunday’s League Cup final. With Ibrahima Konate also limping off and Joe Gomez and Conor Bradley already sidelined, Liverpool travel to Wembley facing a defensive injury crisis.
PSG weren’t the only winners on the night at Anfield, with Eddie Howe no doubt affording himself a wry smile come the final whistle. In recent weeks, the Newcastle United boss has lost Anthony Gordon to suspension and Sven Botman and Lewis Hall to serious injury ahead of Sunday’s showpiece - while he has also been made to sweat over the fitness of star man Alexander Isak.
But Slot now faces similar headaches of his own and must find a way to pick his side back up and ensure the Magpies aren’t winners again on Sunday.
On one hand, the League Cup final could be the perfect pick-me-up for the Reds. But if their latest trip to Wembley does not pan out as hoped, they will have a long time left to stew with their next Premier League match not coming until April 2 at home to Everton.
Setbacks have been rare during Slot’s Anfield career to date, with Liverpool still well on course to win the Premier League title. Their loss to PSG was only their fifth all the season, but by far the most deflating.
Losing to Forest at Anfield back in September was hard to stomach at the time, but has been countered by Nuno Espirito Santo’s side establishing themselves as Champions League contenders rather than relegation battlers this season.
A League Cup semi-final first leg loss away at Tottenham Hotspur was always softened by the return fixture still to come at Anfield. Meanwhile, losses to PSV Eindhoven in a Champions League dead-rubber and Championship strugglers Plymouth Argyle was accompanied by the caveat of Slot selecting a second-string side.
But this was Liverpool’s strongest - the side currently cruising to Premier League glory - yet over the two legs they were second-best to Luis Enrique’s PSG.
For the first time this season, the Reds did not look capable of conquering all that lay before them. It is a stark cry to their domineering control of their Premier League campaign.
It is perhaps the timing of the loss rather than defeat itself that stings most. Having topped the inaugural league phase table, falling at their next hurdle feels most premature with their European campaign left unfulfilled. With Club Brugge or Aston Villa looming in the quarter-finals, there is a real opportunity for the winners of this tie to progress all the way to the final.
Liverpool will be hurting after their exit, as demonstrated by the majority of their squad’s silence or delayed reaction on social media. But they have been stung before and bounced back stronger, be it losing in Champions League finals, failing to qualify altogether, suffering early exits or missing out on Premier League titles by solitary points.
But it is arguably more a physical rather than mental challenge Slot now faces to pick his depleted squad back up for Wembley.
The toughest 120 minutes against Europe’s in-form side is not the preparation you want days before a cup final. And a look at the Dutchman’s ranks, so many senior stars had to put in the distance.
Only Diogo Jota and the injured Alexander-Arnold did not complete 90 minutes from his starting XI. Alexis Mac Allister was withdrawn before extra-time, with Luis Diaz and Domink Szoboszlai replaced either side of half-time. Konate’s departure was then also enforced.
Barring the Frenchman, his five withdrawn players were all probable penalty-takers. And apart from Alexander-Arnold, it would be no surprise to see the remaining quintet all tasked to go again at Wembley along with outfielders Virgil van Dijk, Andy Robertson, Ryan Gravenberch and Mohamed Salah who all completed 120 minutes.
Slot’s substitutes ultimately won Liverpool the first leg in Paris, with Darwin Nunez and Harvey Elliott combining for the winner and Curtis Jones and Wataru Endo both making a decisive impact. But back at Anfield, it became increasingly clear that Slot was reluctant to turn to his bench until absolutely necessary. And when he did, their impact was at best ineffectual and at worst costly.
Prior to facing Southampton last weekend, Slot acknowledged the need to rotate but stated his preference to switch between limited numbers.
“I am also aware of the fact you cannot play a season with 11 players so that’s why you sometimes saw players rotating,” he said. “And I don’t do this with 20 or 25, but mostly with 14 or 15 if possible. The other ones don’t always get the playing-time they deserve.”
But that is what is perhaps starting to catch up on Liverpool now, with favoured members of his squad starting to look leggy and others barely used altogether.
There can be no knee-jerk reactions after a rare Reds setback, especially given Liverpool’s champions-elect status. But PSG have provided a reminder of the levels Slot’s men still wish to reach and why his squad could be set for a number of changes in the summer.
While uncertainty persists over expiring contracts and number of players possess question marks against their names, a number of fringe players are at risk of falling by the wayside.
There are certain areas in the starting XI that can be improved upon too, with centre-forward the most obvious focus. Neither Jota or Nunez have convinced consistently under Slot and, with both struggling against PSG as Liverpool failed to trouble the scoreline, they are both losing the battle to stake their claim before the season concludes.
One of the pair will likely lead the line at Wembley, given that Cody Gakpo has only just returned from injury, but their selection will only be through necessity.
The rest of Slot’s XI against Newcastle will likely pick itself. But after this gruelling bumper encounter with PSG, that too is in itself an issue of its own. It will take a gladiatorial effort for some of his ranks to be at peak condition.
If they aren't, the Dutchman has arguably brought it on himself considering his aforementioned rotation stance. But these can still be lessons learned from a taxing first season in English football for the Reds head coach, and one that will still likely end in glory rather than disappointment.
Only a remarkable set of events will stop Slot from lifting the Premier League at the first time of asking this season. He possesses a great side and has helped them reach new levels after succeeding Jurgen Klopp.
But you need a great squad to go the distance on all four fronts, with that being something the German mastered during his own Anfield reign - albeit through necessity too at times when stung by injury.
With Slot perhaps not fully trusting certain players and sticking by his 14-15 man quota where possible, it is a stance the Dutchman would be wise to reconsider once his squad fully bears his fingerprints after the summer transfer window.
