Liverpool defeated Nottingham Forest 3-2 in the Premier League, and a Jürgen Klopp decision hints at what the Reds’ future may hold
A hectic fixture schedule has frequently forced Jürgen Klopp to rotate his players in his starting lineups.
Last season, the Reds competed on all fronts until the season’s final game. An unprecedented quadruple was on the cards, but despite winning two major trophies, it did not happen.
Klopp is always eager to bring in new players whenever Liverpool plays. And, given the way he wants the team to play, that frequently necessitates changes so that certain members of the roster can get adequate rest when necessary.
Despite wanting to keep things fresh after beating Leeds United on Monday, Liverpool struggled in the first half against Nottingham Forest. Despite the confidence that the previous victory had instilled, not many players were able to hold their heads high with a strong performance.
However, things changed in the second half. Diogo Jota added two more goals to his tally, demonstrating why Klopp remains a fan. It was only a week ago that he had been goalless for more than a year; now he has four goals in less than a week.
There was symmetry throughout the game. Following a scoreless first half, Anfield was treated to five goals in the second. In reality, the word ‘treated’ should be used with caution. Two of them came from Nottingham Forest, setting up a tense finish.
However, Liverpool’s Mr Reliable, Mohamed Salah, stepped up to score the game-winning goal in the 3-2 victory. He has now equaled Robbie Fowler’s 183 career goals for Liverpool.
Klopp did something against Forest that he hasn’t done in more than three years at Liverpool. Klopp named the same starting lineup that defeated Leeds United 6-1 on Monday.
It was also the same starting lineup for Liverpool’s last three games, dating back to the draw with Arsenal earlier this month. This is not something that happens very often.
In fact, Klopp has not named three consecutive unchanged starting lineups since January 2020, nearly three years ago. For context, prior to the win over Leeds, Klopp had named an unchanged team just three times in 92 games. That alone tells several stories about Liverpool’s past, present, and future.
In the past, Liverpool has frequently competed on multiple fronts in the final weeks of the season. Whether it’s in the Champions League, FA Cup, or battling for the league title, Klopp has always seemed to have a compelling reason to keep his lineup fresh.
Looking forward, Liverpool entered the game against Forest with confidence after scoring six goals against Leeds. There had also been four days of rest, which allowed the roster to prepare for the weekend’s game.
Furthermore, in the context of this season, Liverpool has struggled for consistency since the season’s start last August. Could this be Klopp’s first indication of seeing not just who is playing the best, but also who fits into the system that they are attempting to play?
Given how much of a rebuild is required in the summer transfer window, the future is still relatively unknown at this point. And the chances of the starting lineup against Forest being the same are slim.
But if Klopp believes he is getting a sense of what his new Liverpool team will look like, that can only be a good thing. These last three games have demonstrated that the future may be unfolding right in front of our eyes.
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