There were a lot of good things that happened as a result of Liverpool’s 6-0 win over Qarabag. The Reds finished in third on the Champions League Table, advancing straight to the Round of 16. Virgil Van Dijk set a Champions League record, and Alexis Mac Allister had a match to remember with a near hat-trick. But those things came at a cost due to a muscle injury to Jeremie Frimpong, who will miss an undetermined amount of time.
The Injury Crisis Worsens
With the latest blow to Frimpong, Liverpool’s injury crisis went from bad to worse. Conor Bradley and Giovanni Leoni are out for the season, while Alexander Isak will be out for months. With that, other players have to soak up those minutes, and Arne Slot blamed Frimpong’s injury on the heavy workload
“It hits us harder if we have injuries than the clubs we are in competition with,” Slot said in his post-match presser. “Jeremie is a great example of that. Apparently, I have played him too much for this (injury) to happen again.”
The Manager's Excuse?
Injuries are part of the game, and big clubs play a lot of games. Slot is inaccurate when he says injuries hit Liverpool harder. Arsenal, for example, must also navigate the Champions League, FA Cup, Carabao Cup, and the EPL. The Gunners finished first on the table, and Mikel Arteta has not said one word about too many games. I like Slot a lot and don’t think he should be sacked. However, he should not complain about the number of games when other clubs are in the same boat.
Mac Allister Leads The Line, VVD Record
Liverpool were always on the attack against Qarabag and rarely had to be on defence. They outshot the Horsemen 12-1 on goal and had over 70 per cent possession. That helped cover for Midfielders having to play on the backline (like Ryan Gravenberch). Slot even said they were the better team for the full 90 minutes. Alexis Mac Allister stood out amid several good performances with a near hat-trick, but Virgil van Dijk garnered 3 assists, the first time a centerback has done so in a Champions League match.
The Analysis
As a Liverpool supporter, it’s always nice to see 6 goals hit the back of the net. But is it fool's gold? Slot even admitted that Newcastle will be a tougher test on the weekend. The good news is that Ibrihima Konaté is expected to be back for the match, and Joe Gomez is a possibility. That should help, but will it be enough long-term? For now, though, let’s just enjoy the feeling of scoring six goals and a dominant win. This hasn’t happened much this season.
Make Football Fun Again
After a fast start to the season, Liverpool have been searching to recapture that magic ever since. They have shown flashes of brilliance and won big games, but also gotten bad results against the bottom teams in the EPL. For one night, against Qarasbag, the magic was back. Players looked as if they were having fun, and Salah was smiling again. That usually spells trouble for the opposition. The question is, can it continue in the EPL? I think it can if the Reds stay with the 4-2-3-1 that has worked so well. It would also help if Slot was more upbeat in his pressers. Even with a 6-0 lead, he seemed somewhat pessimistic. Football is supposed to be fun, but it does not look like the boss is having any at the moment.
