Arsenal and Manchester City will be jumping with joy after watching Liverpool lose 1-0 to Crystal Palace on Sunday.
Manchester City moved to the top of the Premier League table on Saturday after thrashing Luton Town and Arsenal were hoping to follow suit 24 hours later.
In between, Liverpool had the chance to also sit top, but they well and truly shot themselves in the foot by losing to Palace at Anfield.
It was the same old story rearing its ugly head – players unable to finish their chances from Mohamed Salah to Darwin Nunez.
You feel this game, for Klopp’s side at least, could and will now have a huge bearing on the Premier League title race because now they need favours.
Some would argue that they are out of it and they can now wave goodbye to giving their manager the perfect send-off before he departs in the summer, with two leading candidates for the job.
Michael Owen stated that he ‘can’t see’ Arsenal or Manchester City dropping points now, so it’s probably over for Liverpool, as he told Premier League Productions (14/04/24 at 4:00 pm).
Whilst Ian Wright added that Palace ‘frightened’ the Merseyside club and ‘you can’t miss the chances Liverpool have and win the title’.
Will Liverpool win the Premier League title?
“Obviously, it’s a massive, massive hammer blow for Liverpool to have lost that game,” said Owen.
“You would say with the quality of opponent (Arsenal and Man City) that it will be very difficult for them. They have a poor goal difference compared to the others and they are now two points behind a great side like Manchester City. The same as Arsenal, they could be three points behind in a couple of hours. It’s an uphill task now for Liverpool. They can still win it, there is still plenty of time, but with the quality of those two teams above them, I can’t see them dropping many points – Liverpool fans will be praying for a miracle. They are right on the back foot now.”
Wright added: “Palace have shown that nothing is a given – they turned up with a new manager, trying to implement a new style and in the first half they were magnificent. They came with a different attitude. Maybe something different to what Liverpool expected and frightened them. That’s a big, big result in the title race because you can’t miss the chances Liverpool have missed and win the title. Now they are hoping Man City and Arsenal lose games to get back into this.”
What next for Liverpool?
Before the game against Palace, some questioned if Liverpool should play a weaker side for the second leg of their Europa League tie against Atalanta and concentrate on the title.
Well, that conversation can be put to bed now because Klopp could watch his players knock themselves out of two competitions within the space of a week.
Yes, it’s 3-0, but Liverpool have to travel to Italy in full belief that they can turn over Atalanta and just provide some much-needed confidence into the team.
Players like Salah are off it, Nunez is still missing chances and could Diogo Jota, who has been much missed, start next week to perhaps give the team one final hope?!