Alisson Becker is playing just his second match tonight since returning from a hamstring injury which sidelined him for two months, but Liverpool fans certainly don’t have to worry about the goalkeeper being rusty.

Shortly after the Reds took an early lead against Atalanta through a Mo Salah penalty, pulling back one of the three goals they require to cancel out the first-leg deficit, they were almost caught out at the other end.

After Gianluca Scamacca flicked the ball on to Teun Koopmeiners, the Dutchman put in a low cross towards the edge of the six-yard box. His compatriot Virgil van Dijk got a leg to it but looked like he was about to turn it into his own net until the Brazilian stopper somehow adjusted his footing and got back to claw it away from danger.

The offside flag then went up for an infringement earlier in the move, but Alisson wasn’t to know that when he miraculously reacted to stave off a real scare for Liverpool. That’s why he’s the best goalkeeper in the world, bar none!

You can view Alisson’s stupendous save below, taken from beIN SPORTS’ match coverage and shared via @AlmedaDufo75613 on X:

تابع الحساب الاساسي :@iT7HD pic.twitter.com/cL6bh9j7LR

— ليالي الابطال (@AlmedaDufo75613) April 18, 2024

The post (Video) Alisson well and truly back as he pulls off incredible save; didn’t know it’d be offside appeared first on The Empire of The Kop.

Atalanta ruthlessly put Liverpool to the sword at Anfield last week with a deserved 3-0 victory, but Gian Piero Gasperini’s side then paid the price for four minutes of madness in their subsequent game.

The Nerazzurri seemed well on their way to victory when leading relegation-threatened Verona 2-0 at home after 56 minutes in their Serie A clash on Monday night, but things quickly unravelled for the Europa League contenders.

The visitors’ first goal saw Berat Djimsiti ran ragged as he tried and failed to deal with the surging Tijjani Noslin. He passed inside to Darko Lazovic, who was left with ample time and space to pick his spot and halve the deficit.

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

Just three minutes later, Matteo Ruggeri criminally turned his back as Fabien Centonze whipped a cross into the penalty area, and Atalanta goalkeeper Marco Carnesecchi came for the ball but got nowhere near it, with Noslin tucking it home for the equaliser.

Jurgen Klopp will no doubt have noted those defensive lapses from Gasperini’s team and may take encouragement from how easily Verona scored those two goals to rescue a point at the Gewiss Stadium.

Liverpool have produced several legendary European comebacks before, and if a team who sat 17th in Serie A can expose Atalanta’s frailties at the back, then the Reds could certainly do so if they’re at their clinical best on Thursday night.

You can view the two Verona goals from last night below, via @footballontnt on X:

Through the legs of the defender and Darko Lazović gets one back for Hellas Verona

@tntsports & @discoveryplusuk pic.twitter.com/piFnEF7ap5

— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) April 15, 2024

In the space of four minutes, Atalanta surrender a two-goal lead to Hellas Verona

Liverpool take notes…

@tntsports & @discoveryplusuk pic.twitter.com/yywSaIBFOt

— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) April 15, 2024

The post (Video) Four minutes of madness from Atalanta may give Liverpool hope of another famous comeback appeared first on The Empire of The Kop.

Conor Bradley is set to be ruled out of Liverpool’s forthcoming matches with an ankle injury, although the setback doesn’t appear to be as serious as first feared.

The 20-year-old was forced off shortly after half-time during the defeat to Crystal Palace on Sunday, with James Pearce suggesting on the Walk On podcast that it could be a season-ending blow for the right-back.

However, Sky Sports News shared an update on the Northern Ireland international live on air this lunchtime, saying: “Liverpool defender Conor Bradley will be out for up to three weeks with the ankle injury that he sustained against Crystal Palace.

“Scans have shown that the injury is not as bad as initially feared, but it could be May before he’s back in training.”

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

Judging by the suggested timeline, Bradley could return to action for Liverpool’s home clash against Tottenham on 5 May, or the trip to Villa Park eight days later.

The youngster’s injury blow compounded the anguish of losing at Anfield for the second time in four days at the weekend, although at least it comes at the same time that we’ve welcomed back Trent Alexander-Arnold from his own period in the treatment room.

Here’s hoping that the Northern Ireland youngster makes a swift recovery and can still play a part in the Reds’ run-in to the season.

You can view the injury news in full below, via @SkySportsNews on X:

Liverpool defender Conor Bradley has been ruled out of action for up to three weeks following an ankle injury sustained at the weekend pic.twitter.com/9mg1QRHACR

— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) April 16, 2024

The post (Video) ‘Scans have shown…’ – Sky Sports share Conor Bradley injury update live on air appeared first on The Empire of The Kop.

David Ornstein has suggested that Liverpool could make a ‘brave’ decision when it comes to appointing their next manager and might yet opt for someone beyond the ‘obvious candidates’.

The Athletic journalist spoke with NBC Sports about the Reds’ search for Jurgen Klopp’s replacement, claiming that Ruben Amorim – currently the hot favourite to take over from the German – is ‘not a shoo-in for the job’ and ‘not necessarily the top option’.

The reporter said: “Liverpool are looking at a number of options, no doubt. They are finalising their work on them and they will not be afraid to be brave and think outside of the obvious candidates or the popular names.

“They won’t be looking for applause; they’ll be looking to make the right decision for Liverpool Football Club based on the style of play – high tempo, energy, exciting brand of football.

“They’ll be looking for someone to connect with supporters and really energise them as well, somebody who has as good track record on injuries and player availability, and somebody who also will make sure that players will improve, lots of which has been done by Jurgen Klopp.”

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

Ornstein’s update conflicts with that of Portuguese journalist Pedro Sepulveda, who claimed on Monday that Amorim is ‘the only name on Liverpool’s table to be the next coach’.

We’d be more inclined to go with the former, who’s established as one of the most trusted reporters in football, and the Reds had a tendency to execute left-field transfer signings during Michael Edwards’ previous spell with the club, many of which turned out to be masterstrokes.

We remain hopeful that a manager of Amorim’s track record will get the job, but it seems that the Sporting Lisbon boss mightn’t yet be nailed-on to take over from Klopp. We can only wait to see what develops over the coming weeks.

You can view Ornstein’s update on the Liverpool manager search below, via NBC Sports on YouTube:

The post (Video) David Ornstein claims Liverpool could ‘think outside of the obvious’ in manager search appeared first on The Empire of The Kop.

Darren Bent has aired his frustrations about one Liverpool player who he believes has many positive traits but is ‘starting to cost’ his team.

The Reds have been dogged by their wastefulness in attack in recent games, particularly when dropping points to Manchester United and Crystal Palace in recent days, and Darwin Nunez is among those to come under scrutiny.

Speaking on talkSPORT, the former England striker said: “I know Liverpool fans love Darwin Nunez. I like him, but some of those misses are starting to cost Liverpool.

“Listen, I love the things he does. He does so many good things. He’s running around, he works hard, he gets himself into great positions, but that last little bit of composure… At times, you can go ‘ha, it’s funny’, but it gets to a point where you start to go ‘alright, enough’s enough – start putting the ball in the net’.”

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

Bent’s sentiments about Nunez would probably be echoed by many Liverpool fans, with the Uruguayan impossible to dislike due to his indefatigable nature but also something of an enigma when it comes to some of the chances that he passes up.

It seems curious to question the finishing ability of a striker who’s already netted 18 times this season, but anyone who watches the Reds on a consistent basis will know that the 24-year-old’s tally ought to be considerably higher.

His recent form is part of the reason why we’re enduring our most difficult spell of the campaign, with his only goal in his last six appearances being the one where he charged down Sheffield United goalkeeper Ivo Grbic and saw the ball ricochet kindly into the net.

Nunez has been unfairly maligned for much of his time in England, but he and Liverpool could certainly do with ending his recent dry spell if we’re to prevent a once-promising season from fading to anti-climax.

You can check out Bent’s comments on Nunez below (from 1:17), via talkSPORT on YouTube:

The post (Video) Darren Bent is starting to get tormented by Liverpool player who ‘does so many good things’ appeared first on The Empire of The Kop.

Jamie Carragher analysed the ‘chaotic’ nature of Liverpool’s counterattacking play and how a lack of composure may cost them in the Premier League title race.

The Reds have been dismally wasteful in recent matches, dropping points against Manchester United and Crystal Palace despite creating a host of gilt-edged chances against both teams, and their six-game rolling average for shot conversion has plummeted since February.

Speaking on Sky Sports‘ Monday Night Football, the ex-Anfield defender analysed a few passages of play from Jurgen Klopp’s side where they failed to make the most of opportunities they’d have been expected to score.

Carragher said: “Is there a theme of certain types of chances that, when you look at Manchester City, they’re a bit more controlled? Liverpool are a bit more chaotic. How often do they find themselves in these positions where someone is running through on goal and it’s so frantic – it’s never really controlled.”

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

He also pored through Curtis Jones’ glaring miss against Palace yesterday, stating: “If Kevin De Bruyne is in this situation, Bernardo Silva, they make the right pass. We run it on – [Cody] Gakpo, it’s a decent pass, but does Curtis Jones look fully comfortable? It’s a poor touch. The ball then bobbles up and he puts it wide.”

There are definitely a few examples of promising counterattacks from which Liverpool failed to score this season, from the one against the Eagles on Sunday to a five-on-two at Old Trafford last week and the breakaway which ended with Trent Alexander-Arnold hitting the crossbar against Arsenal at Anfield.

If the Reds get any such opportunities in their remaining six Premier League games, they simply can’t afford to waste them if they’re to displace Man City by 6pm on 19 May.

You can view Carragher’s analysis in full below, via @SkySportsPL on X:

"This isn't easy for Salah…" @Carra23 and Dele analyse Liverpool's 'chaotic' performance against Crystal Palace and Arsenal pic.twitter.com/xy0EzNYsH6

— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) April 15, 2024

The post (Video) Jamie Carragher analyses why ‘chaotic’ Liverpool risk missing out on Premier League title appeared first on The Empire of The Kop.

Even casual observers of recent Liverpool games could deduce that the Reds have been criminally wasteful of late, and the underlying numbers serve to highlight the alarming rate of decline in that regard.

On Sky Sports‘ Monday Night Football, presenter David Jones brought up a graphic showing the six-game rolling average for shot conversion for Jurgen Klopp’s side, highlighting how it has ‘fallen off a cliff’ from 17% in February to 6% now.

In response to that seismic drop in the space of two months, Jamie Carragher said: “It has to change. I think Liverpool’s xG in this run is around nine and they’ve scored two during the run that they’re on, which is not great. For it to go like that, right now at the most pivotal of times, is a huge problem.

“There’s still time to fix that and get it back, but the nature of players is that it’ll always be a little bit like that because of the way they finish, the type of players that they are. That has to change very quickly if Liverpool are to go back into the title race.”

Liverpool scored 24 goals in their first seven Premier League games of the calendar year, hitting four past Newcastle, Bournemouth, Chelsea, Brentford and Luton in quick succession. They’ve netted just nine times in their subsequent six top-flight matches, with three of those coming against rock-bottom Sheffield United at Anfield.

They took 21 shots and had an xG of 2.81 against Crystal Palace on Sunday (Sofascore), but Dean Henderson still came away with a clean sheet and a victory for his team.

As Carragher said, the Reds need to rediscover their scoring boots pronto if they’re to remain in touch in the title race.

You can view the full discussion below, via @SkySportsPL on X:

"That has to change very quickly if Liverpool are to go back into the title race" @Carra23 takes a look at Liverpool's shot conversion percentage in the Premier League this season pic.twitter.com/MvvpK1thau

— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) April 15, 2024

The post (Video) ‘Huge problem…’ – Sky pundits highlight alarming stat which has beset Liverpool recently appeared first on The Empire of The Kop.

Jan Aage Fjortoft has named two Liverpool players who are ‘fun to watch’ but fall short of being worthy of ‘top class’ billing.

The Reds’ recent games have been characterised by the profligacy of their forwards, with a succession of chances not converted in the 2-2 draw at Manchester United and 0-1 defeat at home to Crystal Palace.

Speaking on ESPN FC on Sunday night after the latter result, the ex-Middlesbrough striker picked out Darwin Nunez and Luis Diaz as two examples of attackers who lack the true cold-blooded instinct of the world’s best players in that position.

Fjortoft said: “Against Manchester United, [Liverpool] had ten chances. Today against Crystal Palace, maybe not the best play, but they still created ten chances.

“Let’s be honest, Nunez is not a top, top class striker. Diaz is not a top class striker. They are great players, they are fun to watch, they’ve got energy when they’re on top of their game, but they’re not the goalscorer who you’d say ‘yeah, they’re will get 20-30 goals’. No chance.”

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

The South American duo haven’t had a bad season by any means, with the Uruguayan netting 18 goals and the Colombian on 13 (Transfermarkt), but unfortunately the 24-year-old’s form has deserted him at the worst possible time for Liverpool.

Nunez has netted just once in his last six games, and even that was fortuitous one against Sheffield United. Diaz, to be fair, has two goals and an assist in his previous four Premier League outings, although it was concerning that he only took one shot during his 66 minutes on the pitch yesterday.

They can both be lethal when at their best, but neither has been at the top of their game recently. Hopefully they can enjoy a hot streak in the final five weeks of the campaign and send an emphatic message to their critics.

You can view Fjortoft’s comments below (from 4:59), via ESPN FC on YouTube:

The post (Video) ‘Let’s be honest…’ – Fjortoft cites one big flaw to Liverpool duo who are ‘fun to watch’ appeared first on The Empire of The Kop.

One Liverpool player has been advised to consider whether his career would be best served by leaving Anfield.

Caoimhin Kelleher deputised commendably for Alisson Becker during the latter’s injury absence over the past couple of months, but the Brazilian was immediately restored to the starting line-up for the defeat to Crystal Palace on Sunday upon regaining fitness.

On Sunday night’s edition of ESPN FC, host Dan Thomas asked panelist Kasey Keller what the 25-year-old should do, with it being clear that he’s once again the Reds’ second choice in nets.

The ex-Tottenham and USA goalkeeper replied: “I’d have to play. I’d be leaving, for sure. I had that at Spurs. Spurs had made a decision at board level that they wanted to be young and British and I was neither, so we had a lot of conversations and I had the opportunity to go to ‘Gladbach in the break. I wanted to go and play.”

It’s a dilemma which has confronted Kelleher before. Does he remain loyal to the club which gave him his break in professional football, or move on in pursuit of being an undisputed first choice elsewhere now that he’s 25?

It’s been suggested by James Pearce that Liverpool would demand at least £30m for the Irishman, which is the minimum they should be asking for a goalkeeper who’s proven that he can excel at the highest level.

The Reds will surely want to keep him, even with Jurgen Klopp departing in a few weeks’ time, but if the Cork native were to desire a fresh start elsewhere, it’d be hard to deny him that opportunity.

You can view Keller’s comments in full below (from 6:59), via ESPN FC on YouTube:

The post (Video) ‘Have to play…’ – Ex-Spurs player urges £30m Liverpool ace to consider leaving Anfield appeared first on The Empire of The Kop.

Richard Keys and Andy Gray had differing opinions as to whether or not Liverpool’s Premier League title hopes are sunk after their defeat to Crystal Palace today.

A hugely damaging week has seen the Reds drop five points in two top-flight matches and go down 0-3 to Atalanta in the Europa League quarter-finals, all but ending their hopes of winning that competition.

Speaking on beIN SPORTS moments after the final whistle at Anfield this afternoon as he noticed the desolate faces on the LFC players, Keys said: “And then there were two. They know.

“It very much depends on what Arsenal do against Aston Villa shortly, but right now you’d have to draw the conclusion that that marks the end of Liverpool’s title chase.”

Gray agreed that the Reds are now outsiders in the titler race but refused to rule them out entirely, replying: “Not quite. It makes them third favourites. They’re still in it. Did anyone expect this today? There are plenty of games left, Richard, but of the three now, they look the least likely.”

We’re with the former Everton striker on this one – the last two league results have been hugely damaging for Liverpool’s title hopes, but they’re still only two points behind Manchester City, who began the day top of the table.

With six matches still to play, it’s far from implausible that Jurgen Klopp’s side could fight back to lift the trophy in five week’s time, but they certainly can’t afford too many more days like this one, where they wasted so many chances against Palace and ended up regretting it.

Down but not out – we keep fighting!

You can view the post-match reaction from Keys and Gray below, via @beINSPORTS_EN on X:

"That marks the end of Liverpool's title chase!"@richardajkeys, Andy Gray and @MCATEER4 react to Liverpool losing to Crystal Palace.#beINPL #LIVCRY #LFC #CPFC pic.twitter.com/jHenXvX4yr

— beIN SPORTS (@beINSPORTS_EN) April 14, 2024

The post (Video) Richard Keys and Andy Gray disagree over Liverpool’s title hopes after damaging defeat appeared first on The Empire of The Kop.

There’s plenty which can be said about Liverpool after their costly defeat to Crystal Palace at Anfield on Sunday, but one criticism from Paul Merson seems rather peculiar.

The Reds failed to score in losing at home for the second time in four days, going down 0-1 to the Eagles after the 0-3 thrashing by Atalanta on Thursday, and they wasted a succession of chances in the second half against Oliver Glasner’s side.

Speaking on Sky Sports shortly after the full-time whistle, with Manchester City retaining top spot ahead of Arsenal’s clash against Aston Villa, the pundit said of LFC: “They haven’t got a natural goalscorer, and that’s Arsenal’s problem as well.

“Man City have got a natural goalscorer and they’re top of the league at the moment. I’m disappointed for Liverpool. I feel sorry for them…they’re near-on out of it now.”

Jurgen Klopp’s side can certainly be accused of being far too wasteful in their last two league games against Manchester United and Palace, but to say that they don’t have a ‘natural goalscorer’ is head-scratching.

Mo Salah, Darwin Nunez, Cody Gakpo, Diogo Jota and Luis Diaz have hit 82 goals between them this season, with the Egyptian netting 209 times for Liverpool in his seven years at Anfield.

The Reds definitely have prolific forwards in their squad, but unfortunately their form has deserted them at the worst possible juncture, with the Premier League title at risk of drifting out of reach after a hugely damaging eight days.

You can view Merson’s comments below, via @SkySportsPL on X:

"They haven't got a natural goalscorer"

Paul Merson on Liverpool pic.twitter.com/sztGaSh4iC

— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) April 14, 2024

The post (Video) ‘They haven’t got…’ – Merson makes peculiar Liverpool claim despite costly defeat v Palace appeared first on The Empire of The Kop.

Jamie Carragher has urged Liverpool to tighten up defensively if they’re to end Jurgen Klopp’s final season at the club as Premier League champions.

The Reds go into today’s clash against Crystal Palace having not kept a clean sheet in their last eight matches, with five goals conceded over the past week to Manchester United and Atalanta.

Speaking to Sky Sports at Anfield prior to this afternoon’s game, the ex-LFC defender said: “There is a feeling when you play Liverpool that you’ll get a chance, and it’s been there for most of the season.

“I think there’s 20 times this season where Liverpool have conceded the first goal. Between now and the end of the season, that’s got to stop.

“Liverpool must get back to keeping clean sheets, and if they do that, they have enough firepower on the pitch  and also on the bench to come on and score goals. They’ve got to take that feeling away, and that would give everyone in this stadium and Liverpool supporters watching belief that they can win the Premier League.”

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

While we’ve only lost six out of 50 matches in all competitions this season (including two Europa League group defeats of no real consequence), it’s a worrying sign that we’ve fallen behind in 40% of those games.

Although the resilience to routinely come back from losing positions is a welcome sight, it’s not something on which Liverpool will want to be dependent as they aim to see off Arsenal and Manchester City in the Premier League title race.

A win today is essential; a clean sheet would also be most desirable.

You can view Carragher’s comments below, via @SkySportsPL on X:

"There's a feeling when you play Liverpool, you'll get a chance" @carra23 on Liverpool's defensive record this season pic.twitter.com/DZdaCO8LHM

— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) April 14, 2024

The post (Video) ‘That’s got to stop…’ – Carragher highlights issue Liverpool must fix in title race appeared first on The Empire of The Kop.

We’re now at that stage of the season where every fixture can be analysed in terms of where the Premier League title race may be won or lost for Liverpool, Arsenal and Manchester City.

Ahead of this weekend’s matches, TNT Sports pundits Laura Woods and Rio Ferdinand took on the task of predicting each result for those three teams in the run-in to the campaign, and duly coming out with who they think will be crowned champions on or before 19 May.

The ex-Manchester United defender believes that the Reds will go unbeaten in their final seven games but slip up with draws at Fulham, Everton and Aston Villa, duly finishing third in the table and missing out to City by three points.

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

Woods’ predictions offer greater hope to Liverpool fans, as she thinks Jurgen Klopp will win every remaining match as a Premier League manager.

However, even that mightn’t be enough to see him end his reign at Anfield with the title, as she’s also predicted Arsenal and City to be perfect from hereon, with the Gunners pipping us to first place on goal difference.

Obviously neither of those scenarios is desirable to us, as we’d dearly love for Klopp to bow out with a second Premier League crown, but if one of those selections had to play out, we’d rather it be Ferdinand’s so that we’re not left nursing the agony of missing out on glory by the wafer-thin criterion of goal difference.

You can view the pundits’ predictions in full below, via TNT Sports on YouTube:

The post (Video) TNT Sports pundits predict every Liverpool result to end of season in title race verdict appeared first on The Empire of The Kop.

One reliable journalist has claimed that Liverpool have ‘two leading candidates’ when it comes to appointing their next manager.

The Reds are continuing to seek out the right successor to Jurgen Klopp, although some pundits have claimed that Michael Edwards and co have internally made up their mind already.

Speaking to ESPN FC, Mark Ogden hinted that the Anfield hierarchy have narrowed down their search to a couple of names who’ve been linked heavily with the role in recent weeks, with one of those appearing to have a narrow advantage.

He outlined: “What I’ve been told is that Ruben Amorim and Roberto De Zerbi are the two leading candidates. There were some suggestions last week that De Zerbi had kind of fallen down the list a little bit.

“I’m told that isn’t the case, but Amorim is the guy that probably shades the preference in the sense that he’s managing a big club already. He’s won a title and it looks like he’s gonna win another title, so his pedigree in the sense of managing a big club is established.

“De Zerbi hasn’t quite done that yet, and I think that would be a little bit of a hesitation. Can he handle the intensity of managing Liverpool? I suppose he could, but the benefit that De Zerbi has is that he knows the Premier League. He’s managed in the Premier League for a season and a half.”

As Ogden has highlighted, Amorim’s title-winning pedigree in Portugal could give him the edge over De Zerbi when it comes to Liverpool making their final decision on their next manager.

There are still hurdles to clear in terms of stumping up for his release clause and persuading him to take the job if indeed he’s their preferred candidate, but hopefully the Anfield hierarchy will end up getting whoever their first-choice option might be.

You can view Ogden’s comments in full below, via ESPN UK on YouTube:

The post (Video) ‘I’m told…’ – Journalist hints at Liverpool’s ‘preference’ in new manager search appeared first on The Empire of The Kop.

Michael Dawson was stunned by what he witnessed from Liverpool defensively in their 0-3 defeat by Atalanta on Thursday night.

The Reds’ 14-month unbeaten run at Anfield came crashing down painfully at the hands of Gian Piero Gasperini’s side, who now have one foot firmly in the Europa League semi-finals.

Speaking about the Reds on Sky Sports‘ Soccer Saturday, the ex-Tottenham defender blasted the ‘Sunday League’ defending from Jurgen Klopp’s team in that fixture and believes that it’s become a serious problem in recent games.

Dawson said: “It’s a huge concern. I was watching the game and I saw the goals and opportunities they were giving away. You can talk about the other end of the field where you feel they should be taking chances, but I’ve always thought that’s something they’ve improved on. They’ve looked far from it.

“The mistake last week [Jarell Quansah v Man United], it can happen. One slack pass and then Bruno [Fernnades] puts the ball in the back of the net, but your mindset at this time of the season is concentration. Can we get over the line? One mistake can cost you.

“That defending in midweek, it blew my mind. It really did. Give credit to Atalanta, but as a defensive unit you can’t lose your structure, your shape. They were all over the place. [Gianluca] Scamacca’s second goal, it’s something you’d see in Sunday League. There was no-one even near him.”

The frightening thing about Liverpool’s defeat on Thursday is that it could easily have been even more comprehensive.

Atalanta got seven of their 11 shots on target and, despite being culpable for the first goal in particular, Caoimhin Kelleher made a couple of brave saves to prevent the damage from being even worse.

The Reds are on a run of eight matches without a clean sheet, dating back to the win at Nottingham Forest on 2 March, and that’s something Klopp will be desperate to remedy in the final five weeks of the campaign if they’re to end his time at Anfield with the Premier League trophy.

You can view Dawson’s comments below (from 3:08), via Sky Sports News on YouTube:

The post (Video) ‘It blew my mind’ – Sky pundit makes ‘Sunday League’ claim about what he’s seen from Liverpool appeared first on The Empire of The Kop.