Liverpool only have themselves to blame for their poor first half against Manchester United.
Arne Slott’s side bounced back after the break, coming back from two goals behind, but the damage was done early on, with Koby Mainu darting forward to meet the ball and sealing all three points with a sharp finish.
Although the game was technically lost at that moment, in reality Liverpool once again struggled in key moments, made small mistakes and ultimately suffered their 19th defeat in all competitions this season.
How Liverpool lost at Old Trafford
Once again, Liverpool were at fault for their own downfall, succumbing to early pressure from Man United and allowing two early goals.
Liverpool did bounce back, but they produced just 0.9xG for the entire game, and despite dominating possession, they were far from creative enough. United controlled the narrative from the start and Slott’s side hoped for a second-half comeback, but there was a sense of uncertainty after that, as fans have seen the same script many times this year.
Expected Goals (xG) is a metric designed to measure the probability that a shot will result in a goal.
There have been plenty of disappointing moments throughout the season, and although United have made huge improvements under manager Michael Carrick, they are still unacceptable, and with FSG’s support the pressure on Slott has increased.
Liverpool are at a disadvantage due to injuries. To be fair to Slott, his halftime substitution worked for a while. In the final stages, the shadows faded, and the absence of Alexander Isak, Mohamed Salah and Hugo Ekitike was certainly felt.
How will Liverpool grow? Firstly, Salah needs to return as the right side is not working at the moment.
Liverpool need to break slot deal
Liverpool have always looked to break down the right flank this season, but Trent Alexander-Arnold left for Real Madrid last summer.
Jeremy Frimpong was signed to replace him for £29.5m, but it’s safe to say the Dutchman still has a lot left in him this year.
Despite his struggles at Old Trafford and a rash of injuries at Liverpool, Slott was forced to play Frimpong in the advanced role normally given to Salah, but that shouldn’t last until the new season.
Frimpong was unable to influence the match and his pace was negated by Luke Shaw’s hard defending.
Jeremy Frimpong’s career by position | ||
|---|---|---|
position | app | Goal + Assist |
right full back | 149 | 8+22 |
right wing back | 140 | 26 + 35 |
left fullback | 18 | 1+2 |
right wing | 13 | 3+0 |
attacking midfield | 4 | 0+0 |
His dynamism and versatility have been a big plus throughout the season, but even if Salah is injured, Liverpool won’t be able to continue playing alongside Frimpong on the right flank.
The problem, of course, is that Slott isn’t a big fan of Federico Chiesa, and this is an issue that needs to be firmly addressed this summer.
Frimpong is a popular figure in the dressing room, but has yet to show he deserves a starting role, with fewer touches between the sticks than Freddie Woodman and a lack of attacking impact.
In fact, Frimpong never created a chance and failed to complete two dribbles. Additionally, he lost eight out of 10 games, contributing to Liverpool’s lack of success in the build-up.
What’s frustrating is that the fast-paced Dutch international doesn’t offer anything of value other than putting himself in good positions. Is that a fundamental problem, or is Frimpong just hitting the wrong beat at this point?
It would be unfair to say Frimpong needs to be sold next summer, but there is no doubt that he needs to progress next year, otherwise Liverpool will be forced to add further reinforcements on the right side of their defence.
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