Liverpool’s final home game of the season was stressful and long, but the winning streak ended with a 1-1 draw against Aston Villa
Aston Villa 1-1 Liverpool
Anfield, May 20, 2023, Premier League (37).
Firmino 90′, Ramsey 27′ goals
The good, the bad, and the incredibly ugly
It should have been a continuation of good form and a celebratory farewell, but this was a slog the entire game with no happy ending.
Unfortunately, too many people were…well, people, not performing for the benefit of the team at all.
Luis Diaz decided he didn’t want to pass the ball the entire game, Jordan Henderson was an abomination in possession and largely avoided doing anything with it, and Cody Gakpo couldn’t get into a rhythm before being kicked in the throat.
That’s three players who should be heavily involved in buildup or creation but contribute very little to either.
It took us 50 minutes to get a shot on target – not a great one, either – and the next one, which ended up in the net, was ruled out for offside, which the ref had to check pitchside.
At the other end of the spectrum, Alisson had his usual excellent outing, with a massive one-on-one save from Jacob Ramsey being the highlight.
Ali’s performance as our goalkeeper did not provide many opportunities to score goals and win more points.
John Brooks has joined the fiercely contested battle.
Worst Premier League official? It’s a vacant position that will be filled at the end of the season, as are all good awards.
Lee Mason was the undisputed heavyweight in that regard, but after being demoted from ref to full-time VAR, he was sacked from even that position earlier this season, so it’s now anyone’s game.
Jurgen Klopp has already stated that Paul Tierney is a strong contender, and David Coote has long since staked his claim.
On Saturday, however, John Brooks made an equally compelling case, not only getting 50-50s wrong but also being completely fooled by the most ridiculous of dives from the smallest of touches.
The penalty for Ollie Watkins was correct – it was his stopped clock moment – but Brooks’ and his VAR’s decision that being studded in the chest is only a yellow card was sensational.
Henderson gets a penalty? Probably not, at least not softly, but he also gave far worse outside the box in a hectic first half.
The official explanation for the disallowed Gakpo goal was that Brooks needed to determine whether the defender’s flick to Virgil van Dijk from Diaz’s attempted pass counted as a deliberate action.
Which it clearly was, so if that’s the case, it should have been a goal – but yet another call went against the Reds.
The only call you’d argue the ref didn’t wilt on was the extra time: 10 minutes for all of Emi Martinez’s time-wasting and about 300 injured players was a glorious sight.
Trent’s Next Season Question
Right, here’s a classic problem to solve over the next three months: how do you open up teams when your creative maestro is absent or ineffective?
Trent Alexander-Arnold was already vital to Liverpool, but this new system is designed to make him more central, involved, and on the ball. And he wasn’t very good.
Set-pieces were too close to the keeper, deep deliveries were overhit, and he overran the ball too often in open play, attempting to do it all himself.
So, what were the other options? For the most part, our wing play was poor, our set-pieces were ineffective, and our front three aren’t yet regularly linking up.
Creativity comes in many forms, and we need to find an alternative outlet for next season, whether through signings or patterns of play, for when Trent is marked out, injured, or simply not at his best.
The firsts and the lasts
The new kit received its first runout, a red number with thick white trim that will be on display at Anfield throughout next season.
As usual, each fan can decide whether it looks chic or cheap.
Along with that first, there were two more notable lasts: James Milner’s and Roberto Firmino’s final Anfield appearances as Reds.
Both appeared after 72 minutes, with plenty of songs and cheers from the audience for the No. 9, as well as a slew of homemade signs and the like.
Milner was known for being understated – and effective – and he wouldn’t have asked or expected anything less. But Bobby, oh Bobby, couldn’t he have one more say in his Anfield career?
A great near-post run saw him finish a last-minute equalizer that would have been much more joyfully celebrated if we hadn’t been desperate.
The final last we need to mention, if there is one, was our last day of reasonably hoping for a top-four finish.
With only one match remaining, we are three points off the top four, and there will almost certainly be no last-day drama to return to the Champions League.
Klopp’s responsibility, as well as a final game to play
The absence of Klopp from the sidelines for the second time this season appeared to have an effect in the first half, with the Reds not really in contention except for the first and last five minutes of the half.
We didn’t have a shot on goal, were second-best in midfield, and the pace of play was excruciatingly slow – but Klopp was on the bench from December to March, and we went through a lot of that during that time, too.
In either case, the manager is accountable.
We’ve had a great run in terms of results, but performances haven’t always been consistent, even during that run of victories – this result may reinforce the fact that there is still work to be done, both in terms of recruitment and improving the new tactical shape.
Still, there’s a game left, and all we have to do now is make fifth place our best finish.
Away to relegated Southampton, the score should be three points, but the players should be keen not to make any more mistakes and finish on a high note.
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