Liverpool fans attending the Europa League clash against Atalanta tonight will have been in for quite a shock when they first laid eyes on where they’ll be situated.

Anfield Football shared an image of the away end at the Gewiss Stadium where the travelling Reds will hope to see their team pull off a remarkable comeback from 3-0 down from the first leg, and to say that it isn’t the lap of luxury would be an understatement.

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The stand is positioned behind a fence, which isn’t a welcoming feature to begin with, and it looks for all the world like temporary seating which was wheeled in for this match, with metal poles around the sides and back and seats which don’t exactly scream comfort.

Of course, Liverpool supporters couldn’t travel to Bergamo when we last played Atalanta away during the global pandemic in 2020. Their base for tonight’s match has a ramshackle appearance to it, for sure, but hopefully the Reds will give their fans a night to remember nonetheless.

You can view a photo of the away end below, via @AnfieldFootball on X:

The away end at Atalanta pic.twitter.com/b0jCqtQHWB

— Anfield Football (@AnfieldFootball) April 18, 2024

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If you were to look at the Premier League table, you’d think that Liverpool were among the most efficient teams in the top flight.

The Reds’ tally of 72 goals in 32 matches is the third-highest in the division, consistent with their actual position, with an average of 2.25 goals per game. All five of Jurgen Klopp’s senior forwards are into double digits for the season in all competitions, with Mo Salah and Darwin Nunez netting 41 times between them.

And yet, the Merseysiders now stand accused of being one of the most wasteful teams in the Premier League, all too often spurning chances that you’d expect them to put away easily.

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Having scored in all but one of their first 49 matches this season, Liverpool have registered zero goals in their subsequent two games. One of the most lethal teams in England has suddenly forgotten how to execute that most straightforward of football principles – sticking the ball in the back of the net.

Is our recent profligate nature a curious blip, or is there an underlying trend which should seriously worry Klopp? We’ve delved into the numbers in search of patterns to the Reds’ shooting efficiency and xG performance in the 2023/24 Premier League, analysing data from FBref.

READ MORE: ‘Conversations took place’: Fabrizio Romano drops concerning Liverpool manager update

Liverpool shot efficiency in 2023/24 Premier League

Take one look at those two most recent games. Two goals from 48 shots, and only one point to show for it. It’s quite the contrast from the efficiency Liverpool showed in February, when in three consecutive matches they netted 11 times from 69 attempts at goal.

The Reds were generally clinical in their first 16 league fixtures of the season, usually netting at least once from eight shots or fewer, with outliers in trips to Chelsea (1-1), Tottenham (1-2) and especially Luton (1-1) where we dropped points.

Indeed, we had only one shot fewer at Kenilworth Road than we did in our subsequent two games, which yielded four goals.

In a startling snippet of how football can be a downright illogical sport sometimes, Liverpool took more than twice as many shots in drawing 0-0 at home to Manchester United in December as they did in scoring four times at Bournemouth just five weeks later.

From Boxing Day to the end of February, the Reds were efficiency personified, with 10 or fewer shots per goal in eight consecutive games. Our first seven Premier League matches of 2024 saw us net 24 times.

In six outings since that hot streak, only once have Klopp’s side kept their shots-per-goal tally to single digits, and even that was borderline with three goals from 29 attempts (one every 9.67 shots) in the home win over rock-bottom Sheffield United.

The tables below reflect Liverpool’s best and worst six matches for shooting efficiency in the league this season:

The dates of the half-dozen games in either column are as striking as the corresponding numbers. Three of Liverpool’s five most clinical matches in terms of shot conversion were in the first five weeks of the season, while five of the seven worst for the entire campaign have been from their six most recent outings.

It’s mind-boggling to think that the Reds scored seven goals in their two clashes against Brentford from a combined tally of 32 shots, two attempts fewer than they recorded in the goalless draw against Manchester United in December.

Liverpool’s shot conversion for the season overall is mapped out below, with the red line only once dipping below 10 since the beginning of March:

READ MORE: (Video) Liverpool fans will be interested to hear Bernardo Silva’s comments on title rivals’ dropped points

Liverpool xG performance in 2023/24 Premier League

Ah, expected goals (or xG for short). An obsession for some football observers, an unnecessary evil for others.

Ultimately, all that counts is the tally you’d see when clicking on the Results tab and scouring through the list of final scorelines, but in this era of data, data and more data, the more curious of fans can’t help but delve deep into the underlying numbers behind the simple 0-0, 1-0, 2-2 or whatever the scoreboard might read.

From Liverpool’s xG figures for the season, we can see that the Reds have tended to have prolonged imbalances rather than a constant fluctuation.

They went from underperforming on that metric for five consecutive games in the autumn to overperforming on it in the next five. After a brief up-and-down spell over the festive period, Klopp’s side exceeded their xG in six successive matches before underperforming on it for five of the next six.

Another trend to emerge from our xG performance this term is that the disparity of actual goals to xG has tended to be much more pronounced in the second half of the campaign.

Only once in Liverpool’s first 10 league matches was there a difference greater than one (and even that was +1.1 in the win at Newcastle in August).

Compare that to our eight most recent games, where the xG disparity has been one or greater in six of those – and the two exceptions were +0.7 in the win over Luton and -0.8 in the victory against Brighton.

The tables below reflect Liverpool’s best and worst six matches for xG performance in the league this season:

Of the 12 games with the biggest xG disparity (for better or for worse), five of those have been among our eight most recent league matches, thus highlighting how the differential has generally widened from earlier in the season.

While three of the five worst xG performances have come in our last five games, one match in that period actually features among the best five of the campaign, namely the win over Sheffield United at Anfield.

Curiously, our biggest xG underperformance of the season actually came in the 4-2 win over Newcastle on New Year’s Day.

Liverpool’s xG for the season overall is mapped out below, with the disparities clearly greater in the rightmost half of the graph:

Conclusion

While the eye test would tell you that Liverpool have been far too wasteful in recent games, the underlying numbers also prove it.

Ever since the beginning of March, the Reds have needed an exorbitant number of attempts to even manage one goal, and the xG figures don’t make for pretty reading throughout that period.

When we were scoring 11 goals in the space of a week against Sparta Prague in the Europa League round of 16, you wouldn’t have thought that, little more than a month later, we’d be here analysing problems in the final third for Klopp’s side.

However, with Liverpool’s European adventure on the brink of ending at the quarter-final stage, and their Premier League title hopes in danger of slipping away, the Reds need to get back to their clinical and efficient best as their legendary manager enters the final month of a reign which began way back in October 2015.

EOTK Insider with Neil Jones: Niko Kovac rumours, what if Amorim stays at Sporting? Summer contract calls, Crystal Palace review and much more!

The post Analysis: Exploring the numbers and trends behind Liverpool’s shot conversion and xG this season appeared first on The Empire of The Kop.

Last week, Liverpool FC announced that ticket prices for next season would be increased by 2%, news which led to outcry from numerous Reds supporters.

Despite a subsequent meeting with the club’s Supporters Board, the decision was made not to reverse that planned price rise.

Although the rate of increase is lesser than other Premier League clubs who’ve taken similar action – Tottenham announced a 6% raise to season ticket prices for the 2024/25 campaign – the move by LFC has nonetheless left a sour taste at a rather inopportune time.

Liverpool fan group Spion Kop 1906 took a stand against the club’s plans to raise ticket prices by refusing to display flags on the Kop for last week’s Europa League quarter-final clash at home to Atalanta.

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Although the atmosphere at Anfield was strangely subdued that night, the subsequent 0-3 defeat was still a shock to the system, and attempts by some social media users to pin that result on the supporters were frankly ridiculous.

As Gareth Roberts – who represents The Spirit of Shankly and the Supporters’ Board – explained to BBC Radio Merseyside, the ticket price decision is reflective of a ‘worrying direction of travel’ across English football where the considerations of match-going fans are being neglected.

He rightly pointed out that Liverpool will benefit from greater income next season due to Anfield’s expanded capacity and the near-certain return to the Champions League, so the 2% increase in ticket prices shouldn’t have been necessary.

READ MORE: ‘The one worry…’ – Journalist cites big Liverpool doubt which could scupper Reds’ title hopes

The mood around the club was jovial as April began, with Jurgen Klopp’s side still in the hunt for two trophies to add to the Carabao Cup which was secured in February, but the Reds’ season has threatened to unravel over the past fortnight.

With the potential for something special to happen in the manager’s final few weeks on Merseyside, the board chose a terrible time to announce the ticket price increase, and the damage not just to the team’s fortunes but also the club’s reputation could be far more costly than any benefits from the 2% raise in matchday admission.

Anfield has so often been bouncing at this stage of the season when Liverpool are in the hunt for major trophies, but the atmosphere has been one of anger during the defeats to Atalanta and Crystal Palace, with those two results obviously not helping matters either.

FSG have had an unfortunate habit of taking decisions which badly misjudge the feeling among the majority of fans, and they’ve made a rod for their own backs once more with the announcement over ticket prices for 2024/25.

EOTK Insider with Neil Jones: Niko Kovac rumours, what if Amorim stays at Sporting? Summer contract calls, Crystal Palace review and much more!

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The 2-2 draw at Old Trafford was beyond frustrating. The 3-0 loss to Atalanta was numbing. The 1-0 defeat to Crystal Palace felt final.

Thankfully, Arsenal went and lost to Aston Villa, which is good news, even though it almost adds to the exasperation of our missed opportunity.

Liverpool are still in the title race, although Manchester City are heavy, heavy favourites. They’ll probably win their remaining six, the bastards.

But what’s happened to Liverpool?

Against United and Palace, the Reds racked up over 6xG, but only scored two goals, both of which were from set-pieces last weekend. They haven’t scored a single goal from open play despite a plethora of chances and a handful of sitters.

Liverpool’s 2.87xG was the most xG without scoring by any side in the competition since Brighton v Norwich in April 2022. 

Obviously, the finishing recently has been a massive issue. We’ve lacked a little luck, but a lot of composure. There has been no clinical element to it. Nobody has stepped up when it really mattered in front of goal.

Dom Szoboszlai missed two at Old Trafford. Darwin Nunez, Mo Salah and Luis Diaz were also guilty of missing the target when they should have at the very least tested Andre Onana.

Against Palace though, it was farcical. Luis Diaz, Wataru Endo, Nunez, Diogo Jota and Salah all missed from inside eight yards. Curtis Jones also missed a sitter of a one-on-one when the keeper had already sat down and simply presented him a free net.

If we’d have taken our chances, or even half of them, in both matches, we’d be top of the Premier League by three points with six to play. That hurts.

But it’s not just the finishing that’s been off.

It’s the intensity, especially at Anfield against Atalanta in the midweek horror-show and Palace on Sunday.  Why do we let our opponents take the lead so easily? We do it again and again and again.

The best iteration of Klopp’s Liverpool teams used to make the first 20 minutes for opponents complete hell. They outfought them everywhere – to a man. Now, the lackadaisical start to matches allows our opponents chances, often goals and leaves Liverpool chasing the game. You can’t get away with that for an entire season. The most insane stat that proves as much is that Liverpool have conceded the first goal in 21 of our 32 Premier League matches so far. Yes, we’ve done well to win most of these, but it’s not sustainable. And the past week has proven as much.

Alexis Mac Allister was absolutely flying, but has had two poor games. Wataru Endo looks like he did away to Newcastle United earlier in the season. Darwin Nunez has been atrocious since his goals dried up. He hasn’t scored in three games and has just one in our past six. Jota, who to be fair hasn’t found the net since his return either, should probably come in for the Uruguayan based on recent form.

Salah is another player who has not been very good. He’s played nine matches since his return from injury. You’d have hoped he back up and running. But he looks tired, slow and like he’s out of ideas. The Egyptian finishes seasons worse than he starts them, usually. But we need our world-class players to step up in big moments. And he couldn’t have complained if he was subbed yesterday.

It’s funny. We’ve finally got an almost full squad with an elite bench, but the players look more tired than ever. Perhaps the effort of carrying on and winning throughout January and February with a threadbare squad is now taking its toll.

Liverpool are giving up way too many big chances to opponents. You can’t expect the attack to bail out the rest of the side in every match when even very average sides get lots of good sights of our goal.

It feels like it’s done, but football changes quickly. Maybe we’ll pull off a miracle in Bergamo on Thursday and the vibes around the run-in will change.

Let’s hope so. We’re the underdogs now in both competitions. Maybe that’ll help. But quite a lot needs to change, now.

The post Editor’s Column: It’s not just the bad finishing, you know… appeared first on The Empire of The Kop.

Liverpool fans will have been left scrambling for reasons to be optimistic after witnessing their team succumb to a feeble 0-3 defeat at home to Atalanta on Thursday night.

A first loss at Anfield in 14 months leaves the Reds on the brink of Europa League elimination, barring a miraculous turnaround in Bergamo in next week’s second leg, but before then comes a crucial Premier League assignment against Crystal Palace.

Thankfully, Jurgen Klopp’s team haven’t been too accustomed to that losing feeling throughout the season so far, and there are three reasons to suggest that we’ll get the ‘reaction’ that he’s promised when the Eagles visit Merseyside on Sunday.

READ MORE: Klopp explains why he didn’t call upon Trent during Liverpool’s defeat to Atalanta

Liverpool have yet to lose consecutive games this season

Thursday night was only the sixth time that the Reds have ended up on the losing side in 2023/24, with the others coming against Tottenham (September), Toulouse (November), Union Saint-Gilloise (December), Arsenal (February) and Manchester United (March).

As can be seen above, LFC haven’t lost more than once in the same month, with the three matches between the FA Cup exit at Old Trafford and the Atalanta defeat last night by far their shortest unbeaten run of the season (it had been six games from Spurs to Toulouse prior to that).

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Near-perfect response straight after defeats

Not only have Liverpool yet to lose twice consecutively this term, their response to defeat has been almost flawless, as seen from their results immediately after each of those first five losses:

1-2 v Tottenham -> 2-0 v Union Saint-Gilloise

2-3 v Toulouse -> 3-0 v Brentford

1-2 v Union Saint-Gilloise -> 0-0 v Man United

1-3 v Arsenal -> 3-1 v Burnley

3-4 v Man United (AET) -> 2-1 v Brighton

Four wins and only one draw straight after their five defeats prior to last night suggests that the Reds don’t tend to dwell in self-pity for long.

READ MORE: Jurgen Klopp makes ‘promise’ to Liverpool fans after ‘really bad performance’ against Atalanta

Liverpool have yet to go three games without a win this season

Having drawn at Old Trafford last weekend and then lost to Atalanta, Klopp’s side are at risk of going three matches without a win if they fail to beat Palace on Sunday, but that’s something which has yet to happen to them so far in 2023/24.

In fact, it’s only the third time that they’ve failed to win consecutive fixtures (following 1-1 v Luton/2-3 v Toulouse, and 1-2 v Union SG/0-0 v Man United), so thankfully we haven’t fallen into any major rut in recent months.

The closest Liverpool have come to any sustained drop-off are a couple of sequences where they won just one match out of four, which happened in November and also just before Christmas.

There’s no guarantee that those statistics will remain intact beyond the weekend, but the evidence is there to suggest that the Reds quickly put bad results behind them to get back into the winning habit. That’s exactly what they need to do on Sunday if they’re to maintain their Premier League title challenge.

EOTK Insider with Neil Jones: Could a surprise candidate now replace Klopp? The search after Xabi Alonso, and much more!

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Jurgen Klopp is maybe having his best season in terms of managerial input. He is a humungous difference maker for Liverpool.

The manner in which he’s improved players, trusted youngsters, inspired comebacks and made tactical changes within matches has been the primary reason Liverpool are joint-top of the table and still in Europe with one cup already won.

That’s before mentioning his insanely progressive use of substitutes and how he regularly uses game-changers from the bench.

So, this isn’t really a criticism of the manager. He’s been incredible. He’s the best. And I think he might well ride off into the sunset with another Premier League winner’s medal.

But I do find the games in which he’s picked Ibrahima Konate and Jarrell Quansah over the past month quite strange.

Let’s take a closer look.

Liverpool 3-0 Southampton (FA Cup) – Quansah full game (Virg and Konate half-each)

Nottingham Forest 0-1 Liverpool (PL) – Konate full game

Sparta Prague 1-5 Liverpool (EL) Quansah and Konate share minutes (Konate gets injured)

Liverpool 1-1 Manchester City (PL) Quansah full game

Liverpool 6-1 Sparta Prague (EL) Quansah full game

Manchester United 4-3 Liverpool (FA Cup) Quansah full game

–Konate plays game for France in international break–

LIverpool 2-1 Brighton (PL) Quansah plays full game

LIverpool 3-1 Sheffield United (PL) Konate plays full game

Manchester United 2-2 Liverpool (PL) Quansah plays full game

The way I look at it is, this: you want your best players available and fresh for the biggest, hardest games.

Konate is part of Liverpool’s best XI. He is one of the top defenders on the planet when fit. In fact, the only criticism you can have of him is his availability. So, it’s obvious the manner in which Klopp rotates him in and out of the side is to look after his fitness. After all, Virgil van Dijk plays every game and is looked after much differently.

But since the end of February, Liverpool have failed to win three games, two in the Premier League and one in the FA Cup. Quansah has started in all of them and Konate has not.

Let’s go through it. Against City in the Premier League, Quansah had to play because Konate got 50 minutes on the Thursday night against Sparta Prague and picked up an issue. Hindsight is a wonderful thing, but did we really need Konate on the pitch for that game?

He missed the FA Cup game with United due to that same injury, but he still went away with France right after that game and played well over the international break…

But upon his return, Klopp picked Quansah against Brighton and left the on-paper easier Sheffield United game for Konate, meaning he then had to pick Quansah at Old Trafford again as Konate is seemingly not going to play two games in three or four days.

If it were me, I’d have gone Konate versus Brighton and Quansah against Sheffield United, meaning Konate would be fresh for the Old Trafford tie, and Quansah can come in for the Europa League tie this Thursday with Atalanta… This would then mean Konate would be ready for the more important Crystal Palace tie next weekend, and so on.

It’s possible now that Konate plays Atalanta and Quansah gets Palace, which just seems the wrong way round given the priority should be the Premier League.

It’s important to note that Quansah has been exceptional. His mistake against United last time out aside, the 21-year-old has way outperformed expectations. He’s composed and physical and does well alongside van Dijk whenever called upon.

United target our right-side though, as do most big teams, for a few obvious reasons. Firstly. van Dijk is on the left and they want to avoid him. Secondly, there is often space left at right-back when either Trent Alexander-Arnold, Joe Gomez or Conor Bradley are playing that role inverted or just as a natural attacking fullback.

If I had one criticism of Klopp in this season and perhaps a few that have gone beforehand, it’s an insistence on picking strong teams in dead-rubbers or less important ones before more important ones.

One of Jota’s big injuries a few years back came in a Champions League tie with nothing riding on it. And we’d have beaten Sparta Prague without Konate.

Who knows if we’d have fared better than two draws and one win against United and City if Konate had played. We never will.

But hopefully the Frenchman will at least be fully fit for our most crucial upcoming fixtures. As City and Arsenal will only lose or draw one of their seven games left by my reckoning which means we have to finish perfectly. Old Trafford was the slip-up. No more room for another.

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In Jurgen Klopp’s farewell season, Liverpool are right in the midst of one of the most compelling title races that the Premier League has seen in many years.

It would certainly be fitting to see the 56-year-old win the title this spring and close out what has been a glorious era for the Reds with a second top-flight crown. Given the narrative surrounding the club, optimism is high among LFC supporters heading into the final 10 fixtures of the campaign.

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Liverpool fans who are confident the Reds can win the Premier League title could consider placing a bet on it. With three bona fide contenders, the odds could be favorable. The key is giving consideration to multiple options and learning more about several betting sites to make sure you choose the right one.

Of course, in such a tight race, LFC aren’t exactly in control of their own destiny. We’ll likely need both Arsenal and Manchester City to drop points to win the Premier League title.

Therefore, the fixtures left on those teams’ schedules are just as important as Liverpool’s remaining matches. With that in mind, let’s take some time to explore how challenging the road to the title might be for the Reds’ two biggest rivals for domestic supremacy.

READ MORE: ‘No, they’re not…’ – Sky pundit shares firm Liverpool verdict for Premier League title race

Arsenal

Today’s match between Arsenal and Man City could be the best thing for Liverpool as one or both of those teams will drop points, giving the Reds an opening to seize first place. Of course, the Gunners have won all eight of their Premier League matches since the start of 2024, so we can’t count on them losing too many games late in the season.

That being said, Mikel Arteta’s side have some challenging fixtures left, especially away from home. In addition to today’s heavyweight showdown, Arsenal’s penultimate match is away at Manchester United. The Gunners will also play Brighton and Wolves away from home, as well as a crucial North London Derby at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on April 28. Spurs will surely be looking to play the role of spoiler at their neighbours’ expense, which could end up helping Liverpool.

Arsenal also have home matches late in the season against Aston Villa, Chelsea, and a tricky Bournemouth team. In an ironic twist, the Gunners finish their campaign at home to Liverpool’s Merseyside rivals Everton, who could play a role in potentially handing the Reds the title. That said, we shouldn’t be left reliant on Sean Dyche’s team taking points off Arteta and co.

Of Arsenal’s final 10 matches, six are against teams currently in the top 10 of the table. Five of those six matches are on their travels, too so the Gunners surely have a challenging list of away fixtures left to play. That’s in addition to a midweek London derby against Chelsea, another potential stumbling block for the current league leaders.

READ MORE: Table-topping manager set to rule himself out of the running for Liverpool – journalist

Manchester City

Since suffering a 1-0 defeat to Arsenal in October, City have lost just one Premier League match. In fact, the Sky Blues have 10 wins and three draws in their last 13 league games, including the 1-1 draw at Liverpool shortly before the March international break. That should give Pep Guardiola’s squad plenty of confidence heading into today’s showdown against the Gunners.

Immediately after that match, the Cityzens play on Wednesday against an Aston Villa side fighting for a top four spot, before taking on Crystal Palace and Luton Town, both of which Guardiola’s side would fully expect to win. They then take a pause from Premier League action in mid-April for the FA Cup semi-finals.

Even after that clash against Chelsea, Man City’s schedule looks manageable. They are on the road against Brighton, Nottingham Forest, Tottenham and Fulham, along with home matches against Wolves and West Ham United. The fixture at Spurs still needs to be rescheduled and could end up being one of City’s final matches of the season against a team who’ve had their number in recent years.

Just like Arsenal, six of City’s last 10 matches are against teams in the top 10 of the table right now. They both still have to face Aston Villa, Brighton, Luton, Tottenham and Wolves, so their schedules are remarkably similar. The difference is that City will have some of their more challenging matches at home.

What About Liverpool?

Sticking with the theme, the Reds also have to play six of their final 10 matches against teams in the top 10. That includes their last four games of the season against West Ham, Tottenham, Aston Villa and Wolves. A trip to Old Trafford on April 7 to face Manchester United also promises to be a difficult fixture.

On the bright side, the Reds still have manageable games against Sheffield United, Crystal Palace, and Fulham, as well as a Merseyside derby at Goodison Park on April 24. Since they no longer have to worry about facing Man City or Arsenal again, one could argue that Liverpool have the most favorable remaining fixtures of the three title contenders.

That alone won’t guarantee a trophy for the Reds, but it does put them in a good position during the last 10 games of what should be a compelling title race.

EOTK Stats Pack: Liverpool v Brighton – Form guide, De Zerbi’s hex over Klopp and MORE

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“There was never anything serious with Real Madrid or Atlético [in 2022],” Luis Diaz’s father Mane Diaz told Cadena Ser (via the Mirror) this week.

“Liverpool were always more determined and concrete to sign Luis.

” But we haven’t lost our hope yet…” he added.

“Luis is playing well and Spanish clubs are always active in the market.”

This is the kind of unhelpful, ungrateful comment you occasionally hear during international breaks. It wasn’t made by Diaz, but his father, who has earned himself a cult-like status this season.

He was kidnapped in Colombia last year, which made headlines world-wide. Thankfully he was returned unharmed – and has mostly been in England following Liverpool and his son since. Papa Diaz, as he has become affectionately known, has sat with the away fans, shared drinks on trains and posed for thousands of photos on his tour of England. Good for him. It looks like he’s having a great time and why shouldn’t he?

But it should perhaps be no surprise that deep down his motivation is for his son is to play at one of Spain’s biggest clubs. And if he’s saying things like that, you can be sure Luis Diaz feels it too, even if he wouldn’t declare it publicly. It’s the same for most South American players. We all remember Coutinho and Luis Suarez. Liverpool was a stepping stone for them, although with the former, it had a catastrophic effect on his career.

Spain’s hot. Diaz speaks the language. Liverpool is a beautiful and brilliant city but you cannot be surprised to hear a Colombian would rather live and play in Barcelona.

I’m not offended by this. And perhaps I can deal with it because I think Diaz is ultimately replaceable.

Aged 27, he’s at an age where we’d still get a huge sum for him. In a few seasons’ time, that figure will diminish as his pace goes. Look at what happened to Sadio Mane. He hit 30 and declined to such a point he’s now doing not very much in Saudi Arabia. Every player is different but elite performances over 30 are not a guarantee. Diaz obviously has a few top years left in him but now is the time to cash in if the opportunity arises – as a theoretic £65-70m fee would surely be attainable.

I actually have loved his performances recently. He’s been borderline heroic the past few months with the manner in which he’s dragged the Reds up the field with his lung-busting dribbling. He runs and runs and runs. Diaz’s fitness levels are otherworldly.

The caveat though is that he still isn’t delivering big numbers of goals and assists. He has 40 appearances, 12 goals and three assists. Most tellingly, he’s created only two big chances for team-mates. That shows that while his dribbling into the box is excellent, his final ball is not. This number should be far higher for someone so technically capable.

Darwin Nunez is supposedly so much less composed but has way more assists and chances created. The stats sometimes don’t match the narrative.

Liverpool are in no rush to sell as Diaz is still contracted until 2027. So we won’t be bullied into it. Real Madrid will sign Kylian Mbappe, which fills their left-wing spot, so they won’t be in the running. Papa Diaz including Atletico in his list of dream clubs felt a little disrespectful though, given how much smaller and worse they are than Liverpool, as well as the fact Diego Simeone’s tactics would stifle his flair and creativity.

Johan Bakayoko seems a mighty fine potential left-winger we could replace Diaz with, but really, that’s a job for Richard Hughes, MIchael Edwards and the new manager.

We don’t know yet what style, tactics or formation we’ll play. When new managers come in, things change. People and playing staff do, too. The squad’s obviously a very good one already and with the youngsters coming through, we don’t need an overhaul. But if Diaz wants out, we probably shouldn’t stand in his way.

There’ll be no hard feelings. He’s a quality player. So fun to watch. If he can maintain his form, effort and hopefully start being a little more clinical in the box, he’ll play an enormous role in what could still be a monumental season.

Essentially, what will be will be. We have a much bigger summer issue to contend with Mo Salah’s deal expiring in 12 months.

The post Editor’s Column: What to make of Papa Diaz’s untimely comments… appeared first on The Empire of The Kop.

We’re now approaching the final 10 gameweeks of the Premier League season, and only goal difference is keeping Liverpool off the top of the table behind Arsenal, with both clubs a single point ahead of Manchester City.

Online casino and sports betting analysts from LeafletCasinos predict that the Reds have a big chance to win the title, since it’s their last season with Jurgen Klopp and the players are extremely motivated.

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“I guess the final match of the season and the fight among Manchester City, Liverpool and Arsenal will be one of the most fascinating within the last 5 years,” maintains one of our sports experts.

Here are five matches which could make or break Liverpool’s title challenge in 2023/24:

Brighton (H), 31 March

Liverpool resume their Premier League campaign this coming Sunday with a home clash against Brighton, who are unbeaten in their last four meetings against the Reds.

Each of those has come under the stewardship of Roberto De Zerbi, who’s being touted as one of the leading contenders to replace Klopp at Anfield in the summer, thus providing a very intriguing subplot.

With Man City and Arsenal facing each other later that day, this match offers LFC an ideal opportunity to surge to the summit with a win and potentially take charge of the title race should the other contenders draw at the Etihad Stadium.

Man United (A), 7 April

Revenge will be on the minds of Klopp and Liverpool as they visit Old Trafford again, just three weeks on from their agonising FA Cup exit at the hands of their biggest rivals earlier this month.

The Reds will also have a score to settle with Erik ten Hag’s side from the goalless draw at Anfield just before Christmas, when the visitors somehow escaped with a 0-0 draw despite LFC taking 34 shots.

City have taken maximum points off their neighbours this term – we can’t afford to drop any more against the Red Devils. We owe them one!

READ MORE: Edwards and FSG exploring European takeover deal for club who already have some ties to Liverpool

Everton (A), 24 April

The Merseyside derby was originally scheduled for the weekend of 16/17 March, but FA Cup duty for the Reds means that the Goodison Park trip has now been deferred to late April.

It falls slap bang in the middle of two other away fixtures in the Premier League (Fulham and West Ham), with three trips for Klopp’s side in the space of 144 hours, just after they return from Italy for the second leg of their Europa League quarter-final against Atalanta.

Despite Everton’s brushes with relegation over the past couple of years, Liverpool have only won at the home of their local rivals once since the end of 2016.

Tottenham (H), 4 May

Spurs came to Anfield at the same juncture (matchday 36) two years ago and left with a 1-1 draw which ultimately proved very costly for Liverpool, who ended the season one point short of champions Man City.

Reds fans may be fearful of history repeating itself in early May, while there’ll also be a score to settle after the controversy from Luis Diaz’s wrongly disallowed goal in the reverse fixture earlier this season.

The last Merseyside meeting of these teams in April 2023 produced seven goals and a stoppage time Diogo Jota winner, so it’s a head-to-head which doesn’t lack for drama.

READ MORE: ‘Could be sold’ – Journalist claims Liverpool have made an offer for ‘ruthless’ £39m attacker

Aston Villa (A), 11 May

A week later, Liverpool could be involved in another game which may be pivotal not just in the title race, but also the hunt for Champions League football.

Villa have 10 wins out of 14 on their own patch in the top flight so far this season, so this promises to be one of the Reds’ toughest fixtures during the run-in.

There’s also a firm possibility that it’ll pit together two teams who’ve just come off the back of a European semi-final, with LFC  favourites to win the Europa League and Unai Emery’s side sure to fancy their chances in the Conference League.

EOTK Insider with Neil Jones: Michael Edwards and a multi-club model, Alonso’s Liverpool-esque moment and much more!

The post The 5 fixtures which could define Liverpool’s pursuit of the 2023/24 Premier League title appeared first on The Empire of The Kop.

The March international break provides Liverpool fans with one final breather before the relentless run-in to the Premier League title race.

With 10 matches remaining, the Reds are currently level on points with leaders Arsenal (who boast a superior goal difference) and one ahead of Manchester City.

If you’re looking for some excitement off the pitch before the club season resumes, why not try your luck with a no deposit bonus at https://gry-hazardowe-zadarmo.com/50-zl-bez-depozytu/? You can explore the thrills of casino gaming without risking any of your own money. Who knows, maybe you’ll hit the jackpot just like LFC hopefully will in the title race!

We take a closer look at Liverpool’s remaining league fixtures, and which games could be decisive in shaping the destination of the trophy.

FOLLOW Empire of the Kop on Instagram (@empireofthekop) HERE

Brighton (H), 31 March

It’s now been just over two years since Liverpool last got the better of the Seagulls, who’ve won two and drawn two of the subsequent four meetings.

The south coast club have proven to be Jurgen Klopp’s Kryptonite, but the Reds can’t afford to drop points at home to the team currently in eighth, especially when the clash of Man City and Arsenal later that day offers us a perfect chance to steal a march on the other two title contenders.

Sheffield United (H), 4 April

At home to the division’s bottom club, in theory this is Liverpool’s easiest match of the run-in, although Chris Wilder’s men gave us a good game of it in our 2-0 win at Bramall Lane in December.

The Blades have shipped some horrendous batterings in recent weeks, though, and the Reds might privately view this fixture as a chance to reel in some of Arsenal’s goal difference advantage.

Manchester United (A), 7 April

Revenge will be on Liverpool minds when they go to Old Trafford just three weeks after a sickening FA Cup exit at the same venue.

The Reds should’ve had United dead and buried in normal time long before Antony’s equaliser, so there are lessons to be learned from last weekend’s chastening visit to Manchester.

READ MORE: Liverpool ‘interested’ in 25y/o who’s wanted by EPL rivals as potential ‘plan B’

Crystal Palace (H), 14 April

The Eagles might only be 14th in the table at present, but they’ve been tricky opponents for Liverpool in recent clashes, with two draws last season and a stoppage time Harvey Elliot winner needed to ensure a win at Selhurst Park earlier in this campaign.

Darwin Nunez was sent off in the previous edition of this fixture on his competitive home debut for the Reds. He’ll be looking to make headlines for an altogether more positive reason next month.

Fulham (A), 21 April

Liverpool have drawn their last three visits to Craven Cottage, an outcome they can ill afford in a month’s time if they’re to keep their title ambitions intact.

However, the Reds will take heart from already scoring two victories over Marco Silva’s outfit this season, 4-3 in the Premier League and 2-1 in the Carabao Cup, even if both were achieved from losing positions.

Everton (A), TBC

The Goodison Park clash has yet to be rescheduled, although it’ll likely take place around 24 April, currently one of just two guaranteed free midweeks for Liverpool.

Five of our last six away Merseyside derbies have ended in draws, with the 0-0 stalemate in 2019 ultimately proving so costly as the Reds missed out on the title by one point to Man City that year. Klopp will be determined to avoid a similar fate in his swansong campaign.

West Ham (A), 27 April

Liverpool could still potentially meet David Moyes’ side twice more this season, with both teams still involved in the Europa League, although the only way they can meet in that tournament is if they both get to the final.

The Reds won 2-1 at the London Stadium at a similar juncture of the 2022/23 campaign. A repeat of that scoreline would do just fine once again!

READ MORE: ‘Eberl told me…’ – Christian Falk shares what Bayern chief has said to him about Jurgen Klopp

Tottenham (H), 4 May

Liverpool have ghosts to lay against Spurs, who drew at Anfield in the title run-in two years ago (another season where we came second by one point) and won 2-1 in the hugely controversial reverse fixture earlier this term.

The team served up a seven-goal thriller in this fixture just over a year ago. Klopp will hope that three points can be secured in more straightforward fashion this time around.

Aston Villa (A), 11 May

The Reds’ final domestic away assignment this season (as it stands) sees them travel to the Midlands to take on an Aston Villa side who could still have a Champions League place in the balance by mid-May.

Liverpool triumphed 3-1 away to Unai Emery’s team on their previous visit – the same outcome could be priceless to the Merseysiders this term.

Wolves (H), 19 May

Wolves also provided the final-day opposition at Anfield in 2019 and 2022, both of which ended in Liverpool wins on the day but a muted post-match atmosphere as Man City triumphed elsewhere to take the Premier League title by a point.

Surely the Reds’ luck won’t be so bad that lightning will strike thrice…will it?

EOTK Insider with Neil Jones: Michael Edwards and a multi-club model, Alonso’s Liverpool-esque moment and much more!

The post 10 games from glory? Analysing Liverpool’s run-in for the Premier League title race appeared first on The Empire of The Kop.

Cody Gakpo has come in for some serious criticism since Liverpool were knocked out of the FA Cup.

Jamie Carragher unhelpfully tweeted that the Dutchman plays football like it’s in slow-motion during Gakpo’s dire cameo that saw Liverpool lose control of the game.

There can be no debate: he was bad. Most of the criticism has revolved around him messing up a five on two counter-attack when Liverpool were 2-1 up and cruising. He played the ball slightly behind Harvey Elliott who had to check his run, but to be fair, if Conor Bradley had overlapped on the right-hand side he’d have been able to square it for a tap-in.

"Surely Gakpo was the bad one " fuvk y'all ffs pic.twitter.com/pq0orLW26p

— •Aviero LFC🥷 (@aviero_lfc) March 18, 2024

Gakpo just lacked any bite or running, which is the opposite of what Jurgen Klopp expects from his attackers. This is probably why the manager spent much of the second-half berating Gakpo from the sidelines.

One of the issues is that he’s the antithesis of Darwin Nunez when it comes to perceived effort.

The Uruguayan often does silly things. He makes bad decisions, his touch can let him down and as his giving of the ball away in Extra Time for Manchester United’s equaliser proved, he’s more than capable of a big error in big moments. (In fairness, he’s also capable of huge goals in big moments, too). 

But fans, especially those watching Nunez live, forgive him his mistakes because of the frenetic energy he inserts into the team. He undeniably makes football exciting, even when he’s playing badly; and he makes it absolute box-office when he’s on-song. Nunez is often described as chaos, but this is a lazy word. It’s more that he’s always involved and does things at breakneck speed. The accusation of ‘going missing’ can never be directed his way, even if criticism of his game-intelligence certainly can be.

There’s also the element of Nunez overcoming his early problems and overt media scrutiny. Only Mo Salah, Erling Haaland and Ollie Watkins have more goals/assists than him this season in all competitions. He’s come good, which tugs at the heartstrings a little more as he’s so openly emotional. You can see what it means to him. You can see the running. His celebrations are better than anybody else’s.

Gakpo is so different. He’s cool, calm and composed. He doesn’t rush things. His touch is usually excellent and his technique is effortless and natural. He doesn’t miss the sitters Nunez does, but he doesn’t make the runs to get in those positions either. Gakpo is, to put it unsubtly, more boring than Nunez – so when he actually has a shocker – it feels like a bigger crime, because there’s a misconception that he hasn’t tried.

Of course he has. He’s a top-class professional footballer. He’s just so different in style to our other forwards. Like Nunez, Luis Diaz runs and works insanely hard. Also like his fellow South American, Diaz struggles with easy finishes, which for some reason makes him more endearing after the effort he’s put in to get there. Diogo Jota is a killer and a fighter and his finishing ability means he’s always respected even when he has a nothing-game. The reality is though, Jota is extremely injury prone. There’s no getting away from that. Mo Salah is Mo Salah. It’s almost unfair on the rest of our attackers to be compared to the Egyptian.

Gakpo is not having a bad season. Not by a long stretch. He’s been used up top, on the right, on his favoured left or as a no.8 in midfield. He often comes off the bench in one of these positions and is expected to have read and adjusted to the game-state. Despite playing in different positions, he’s scored 13 goals and got four assists in all competitions. Considering he’s our fifth choice forward, this is an unbelievable return. In Sadio Mane’s first full season at Liverpool, when everyone was wowed by his ability, he scored 13 goals in total, one year older than Gakpo is now.

A lot of Gakpo’s tidy work goes unnoticed, as it’s the stuff just outside of the box, or in the buildup to the final pass. He’s a very, very good player. He just had a stinker at Old Trafford in a game where his team-mates also lost their heads. If Klopp really wanted to get the best out of him, he’d play him on the left-wing every week and he’d build confidence and rhythm.

It’s not Klopp’s job from now until the end of the season to develop Gakpo though; it’s to win games for Liverpool – and there can be no complaints that he’s choosing Diaz on that flank. Gakpo’s versatility, but also the strengths of his team-mates have made it harder for him to secure the same spot in the side.

The irony is that a combination of Gakpo and Nunez’s best traits would make the perfect striker. Nunez’s unbelievable pace, runs, energy and intensity. Gakpo’s touch, deftness, ability to drop into space and shooting. What a player! Sadly, each has things they’re not very good at and it’s personal preference which set of traits frustrate more.

I’m drawn towards forgiving Nunez more readily because I love the emotion and excitement he provides, but I feel the hate Gakpo has received for essentially one bad match is absurd.

Let’s back them both. Back them all. There’s a Premier League to be won, and both will be crucial in getting it done.

The post Editor’s Column: Why are Liverpool fans kinder to Nunez than Gakpo? appeared first on The Empire of The Kop.

In an 18 day period, Harvey Elliott has played 90 minutes against Luton, Sparta Prague and Manchester City, 76 minutes against Southampton and Nottingham Forest and 120 minutes in the Carabao Cup Final.

He’s barely put a foot wrong in this intense, immense run of games for the Reds and has helped hold us together in the absence of various midfielders and attackers, as his position has changed not only from game to game, but during them as well.

Elliott has played over 100 matches for Liverpool, but he’s younger than Conor Bradley, Jarrell Quansah; and only slightly older than James McConnell and Bobby Clark. He made his Premier League debut back in 2018/19, when nobody had heard of Covid-19 and Theresa May was Prime Minister.

He has a wealth of footballing experience and running in his legs and he’s still not allowed to drink alcohol in America.

The sight of Elliott collapsing on the turf after most of our matches this past month has become common. He runs himself into the ground for Jurgen Klopp, his team-mates and the club he supports. You can never prove a player works harder if they truly love a club, but the manner in which Elliott sweats blood for Liverpool suggests they might.

Klopp uses Elliott wherever he needs him. He either plays on the right-wing, but as an inverted playmaker; someone who cuts in from the wing and looks to play passes and one-twos, or on the right of the midfield three; where he finds pockets of space and drives with the ball.

Interestingly, regardless of his starting spot, he usually fills the same areas of the pitch, somewhere halfway between the wing and midfield on the right-side.

Part of the reason he’s been difficult to define and often misunderstood is that he doesn’t have an obvious position. He floats. He’s versatile and he changes tact depending on the ebb and flow of the game. For a 20-year-old, Elliott has sublime football intelligence and this is part of the reason why Klopp has used him from the bench on 18 occasions in the Premier League this term. Elliott can read a game and insert himself into the areas which are free and from which Liverpool can profit.

Is he perfect? Of course not. His shooting isn’t good enough yet and he can make bad decisions in the final third. He also lacks any pace whatsoever which is a huge factor in modern football. He doesn’t get nudged off the ball much anymore, however. Defensively, he’s improving all the time.

It’s great to see how flair players like Elliott and Jones have adapted under Klopp. Both understand the lengths they’ll have to go to if they want minutes. And from basically scratch, they’ve learned defensive positioning, tackling and how to scrap.

Elliott is a fighter. He’s an animal, with talent to boot. He reminds me of a younger Phil Foden when nobody really knew where to play him, but it was obvious there was a proper player in there. Now, many (incorrectly) label Foden as the best player in the country, and when Elliott is 23 or 24, he could be in similar conversations.

He still doesn’t get in Liverpool’s best starting XI when everyone is fit. That’s probably Wataru Endo, Alexis Mac Allister and Dom Szoboszlai, but Jones and Elliott are seriously knocking on the door to take the spot of Szoboszlai (who himself is utterly brilliant).

Elliott may have started more games in other seasons, but it appears this is the year in which he’s truly proven his value to the team.

Playmaker, warrior, prodigal talent and marathon runner for the quadruple chasers.

The post Editor’s Column: Harvey Elliott is an animal appeared first on The Empire of The Kop.

It might be finally clicking, you know…

“He’s got quality coming out of his ears!” said Jurgen Klopp after Darwin Nunez’s brace last night against Sparta Prague in the Europa League Last 16. The Uruguayan scored two superb goals. One with his instep from range that swerved so much it made the keeper look stupid, and an even better second; smashing a bouncing ball across his body into the corner of the net.

Liverpool battered the Czech outfit 5-1 to all but secure passage in the quarterfinals.

Considering we have Manchester City on Sunday, it might have been more prudent to rest more players on Thursday night and secure an easy win next week at Anfield instead, given Ibou Konate is now a doubt for the vital weekend clash, but I guess we shouldn’t moan after European thrashings.

Nunez is in the best form of his Liverpool career right now. In 2024, he has 12 goal involvements, which is the joint most of any Premier League player across all competitions alongside Kevin de Bruyne. He’s averaging either a goal or assist every 64 minutes since Christmas.

Nunez has eight goals and three assists in his past ten games. His habit of way underperforming his xG has changed. The 24-year-old has scored eight goals from his past 32 shots. His first eight goals of the season came from 87 shots. His most recent eight goals have come from just 5.5xG, and interestingly, his xG-per-game has remained around 0.9 the entire season. He’s simply started finishing some of the plethora of opportunities he forges for himself and it’s telling. Nunez has 16 goals for the season and 11 assists. Remember, he’s hit the post nine times in the PL alone this term – so while his numbers are decent – they could be off the charts had he been slightly more precise or had slightly more luck.

The thing about the Uruguayan is, he’ll always miss chances. But every good striker does. Erling Haaland, with 26, has missed more big chances than Nunez (21) this term. What’s important is that he never lets a miss get him down and that he continues to make the runs and put himself in the right positions.

His scooped goal away to Brentford in February hints at a more composed attitude to one-on-ones, while his header at Nottingham Forest confirms that he can be the man for the biggest moments. That goal and his brace at Newcastle are up there with the most important we’ve scored all season.

Nunez is also forming better on-pitch relationships with his team-mates. He’s always linked up nicely with Mo Salah, who enjoys his pace and running, but Alexis Mac Allister’s deftness and creativity in a more advanced role is also benefiting the forward. Now Wataru Endo is holding, Mac Allister is playing slightly further forward and plays extremely clever chipped passes behind the defensive line for his friend to chase. It’s noticeable that when Mac Allister gets the ball, he looks for Nunez immediately, and the Argentine getting his head up becomes the trigger for Nunez to make a run. Luis Diaz has also had an upturn in form and those two are passing to each other and playing one-twos. It’s Mac who’s really pulling the strings though and benefiting everyone.

Nunez’s runs are his biggest strength, undoubtedly. They’re at breakneck speed, consistent and drag defenders out of position. It’s clear how much easier it is for our opponents when he isn’t on the field, even when his touch is off or he makes poor decisions. Nunez is always involved, always asking questions. It’s important for his naysayers to remember that the best players in the world consistently give the ball away because they are given licence to make things happen. In January, De Bruyne gave the ball away 31 times in a single game. City beat Burnley 3-1 and he was named Man of the Match. Don’t put pressure on players like Nunez to retain possession. It doesn’t feel like Klopp does, thankfully.

Nunez thrives with space to run into and City will surely give him that on Sunday. They might keep the ball, but we’ll provide threat on the transition. No side has conceded more counter-attack goals than City all season, believe it or not. Fast, direct balls into Nunez running the channels might work wonders, especially with Mo Salah hopefully back in the side on the right-wing. The Egyptian got 20 minutes last night and scored a perfectly legitimate goal which was absurdly ruled out for offside. Diaz, Nunez and Salah is a frightening front-three, now the first two are on-song.

The best thing about Nunez is that he’s fought through difficult times and insane levels of criticism and attention to get to this point. He’s obviously an emotional guy. It got to him. But now he’s flying. Not every player would come back from that so impressively. I think he’ll hit 25 goals in all competitions this term. And plenty more next.

The post Editor’s Column: Darwin Nunez is realising his crazy potential appeared first on The Empire of The Kop.

Does giving Jayden Danns the moniker of the next Harry Kane pile unnecessary pressure onto his shoulders?

I considered this before writing the headline, but this is a young lad who’s just come on in front of 90,000 fans at Wembley and thrived in the situation. Danns is a kid who’s bagged a brace on his Anfield debut with two of the calmest finishes you’ll see all season….

I reckon he quite likes the pressure, actually.

And besides, I’m not the only one saying it!

The son of former Crystal Palace midfielder Neil Danns was practically unknown just a few weeks ago, but he’s the latest Academy Graduate to announce himself loudly and brashly.

Already this term, Jarrell Quansah and Conor Bradley have become first-team footballers, with Bobby Clark and James McConnell increasingly trusted by Jurgen Klopp in midfield.

Quansah has been quietly exceptional. He’s strong, positionally aware and is composed on the ball like Virgil van Dijk, his mentor. Bradley is our right-footed Andy Robertson. Feisty and quick with lethal end product.

There’s always something slightly more exciting about a youngster coming through when they’re an attacker, though, rightly or wrongly.

And Danns is just that. A Scouser who’s just turned 18, with two goals versus Southampton, a very-nearly-assist against Luton and a League Cup win over Chelsea to his name; having played just over an hour of professional football so far.

Most of the time when a player gets compared to someone who went before him, it’s fairly lazy analysis. Any Argentine under the height of 6ft’ is compared to Messi and Maradona before they turn 20. Bruno Cheyrou was dubbed the next Zinedine Zidane, remember.

But with Danns, the resemblance is uncanny. He runs like Harry Kane. They have the same gait and are faster than they actually look. They sprint powerfully over a few metres and show superb anticipation to where balls will drop. Danns is a no.9 who likes to drop deep and link-up play, too. His finishing is clearly a strong point, with over 20 goals for our youth sides this season, adding to his Anfield FA Cup brace.

His first goal last night showed composure and technical proficiency; chipping the ball over the onrushing keeper without having to even look. Darwin Nunez would have scored 40 goals this season if he had that one in his locker. (The ridiculous scoop versus Brentford is not repeatable and shouldn’t count as evidence of better finishing!)

Danns’ second last night is just as impressive. He shows great awareness and striker’s instincts to get ahead of the defender and slams home with a powerful instep finish. Without wanting to ram the point home too much, it’s exactly how Kane would have taken both goals.

In all three appearances he’s earned himself headed chances in the box, too. This isn’t a fluke. It’s great movement and the timing of his leaps have been great. A real no.9 can score aerially or from the floor.

You can see the stylistic similarities in this video below, showing some of Danns’ youth goals this season. Squint and it’s Kane…

Jayden Danns play football tomorrow pic.twitter.com/CjtLxDOL1L

— Zakz (@LFC_Zakz) February 27, 2024

Unlike the England captain, Danns already has a trophy to his name, of course – and hopefully will add to it this season.

Now, the job for Danns is more minutes and to keep knocking on Klopp’s door for opportunities. I’m pretty sure he’ll feature against Sparta Prague in the Europa League and I cannot wait to see him again. Then, he has to impress a new manager in the summer. One of the saddest things about Klopp leaving is that he won’t see the journey of these Academy lads, but he’ll always be the boss who was brave enough to give them their start.

At the beginning of the season I was convinced Liverpool needed a new right-back, centre-back, holding midfielder and another winger – even after the transfer window shut.

Bradley and Quansah are our new defenders though, and the collection of Clark, McConnell and even the prodigal Trey Nyoni provide enough depth in the middle, even with the most ridiculous of injury crises. Danns is the wildcard. Nobody was even touting him at Christmas so to have an exciting finisher coming through the ranks – someone who can learn off our already world-class attackers – is brilliant.

Perhaps Klopp will see what he has to offer versus Nottingham Forest on Saturday.

The post Editor’s Column: He definitely, definitely plays like Harry Kane… appeared first on The Empire of The Kop.

There’s a possibility that all three of Dominik Szoboszlai, Mo Salah and Darwin Nunez could be available for Liverpool’s Carabao Cup final clash with Chelsea.

Then again, the Merseysiders may not benefit from any one option being available. Pep Lijnders made clear in his pre-match presser that the fitness levels of the trio in question would be closely monitored ahead of the trip down to Wembley.

On that basis, the inclination of many may be to rest our hopes on our Egyptian King.

READ MORE: Surprise managerial candidate ranked superior to Alonso & De Zerbi as Klopp successor

READ MORE: ‘Friend’ of Xabi Alonso weighs in on next move amid Liverpool & Bayern links

Liverpool need Darwin Nunez

It goes without saying that we’re most certainly a more formidable prospect with our No.11 in the side than not.

That said, Nunez’s unique ability to attract and create chances for the forward line may prove critical. Especially so against a Chelsea side that, prior to our last league meeting, had held Liverpool to four 0-0 results and one 1-1 league draw.

Understat data attests that our former Penarol hitman (on £140,000-a-week according to Capology) is currently our biggest goal threat with an xG 14.79.

Highest xG without scoring in a PL game this season:

◉ 1.61 – Darwin Núñez (Liverpool vs. Newcastle)
◎ 1.58 – Dominic Calvert-Lewin (Everton vs. Newcastle)
◎ 1.35 – Neal Maupay (Everton vs. Fulham)
◎ 1.14 – Darwin Núñez (Liverpool vs. Aston Villa)

Something in the water on… https://t.co/Hxe53jrjW1

— Squawka (@Squawka) January 1, 2024

Having been available for the vast majority of games this season, there isn’t a significant of pool of data to dive into to compare Liverpool’s attacking threat without the No.9.

Though we coped well against Luton Town with a front-three of Harvey Elliott, Cody Gakpo and Luis Diaz, there’s no question in our eyes that Nunez’s return would boost our chances of lifting silverware today.

EOTK Insider with Neil Jones: Klopp’s successor in the Portuguese league? FSG must learn from one summer transfer and much more!

The post Forget Salah: £140k-p/w Liverpool teammate will be key to unlocking Chelsea – opinion appeared first on The Empire of The Kop.