‘Playing 3D chess’ The only Liverpool positive from this weekend?
Liverpool lost to Everton in the Merseyside derby this weekend, but has this one picked out the one positive to come from the round of fixtures?
The loss hurts an incredible amount. In a bad season, this is the nadir. The Toffies took the lead after just three minutes, while Jordan Henderson limped off before the end of the first half.
Liverpool are now down in sixth place, three points away from Chelsea who are in fourth. This team, who looked so strong and so… unbeatable for so long look fragile and incredible beatable.
Liverpool are hurting
Jurgen Klopp’s side have just lost four games in a row at Anfield. This was unthinkable four weeks ago, never mind last season.
While we digest the painful defeat and what that might mean about this campaign and the rest of 2020/2021, there is one little silver lining from this weekend.
Takumi Minamino was loaned out to Southampton for the rest of the Premier League season and he’s hit the ground running under Ralph Hasenhüttl, who plays football with the same intensity and a similar style to Klopp.
Minamino out on loan to score against our rivals for top four. Klopp really playing 3D chess.
— Toni-Camille- 45% OFF ✨ (@Tonicamillex) February 20, 2021
The Saints took on Chelsea and sent the London side back to Cobham with a 1-1 draw, with Minamino grabbing Hasenhüttl side’s goal. He’s now scored two for his new side, after netting once in half a campaign previously.
More from Rush The Kop
- Set to return, Virgil Van Dijk facing heavy criticism back home
- Liverpool making late comebacks all the rage once again
- Wolves tilt gives Klopp opportunity to tinker with lineup following international duty
- Players to watch in the matchup with Wolves
- Predicting Liverpool’s Next Five Premier League Fixtures
Takumi Minamino can save Liverpool
That strike is vital in the context of the top four places, as it meant Chelsea would only take one point from the game – which is important given that Liverpool dropped three on Saturday.
Without Minamino’s goal, the Blues would now be five points above Liverpool in fourth. Three points look very far away, never mind five. This side don’t look capable of stringing together the run of results required to close the gap on Chelsea, who look invigorated under Thomas Tuchel.
The difference between three and five seems massive – far bigger than just one win, or two draws. Klopp will go back to the drawing board to find another centre-back combination after Henderson limped off, and hope that our top-four rivals keep dropping points.