A year ago
The following five Liverpool games against Tottenham and Newcastle indicate that they have Champions League prospects
Liverpool managed to keep their hopes of qualifying for the Champions League alive after a hard-fought 3-2 victory against Nottingham Forest in the Premier League. Although the first half was relatively dull, the game came to life in the second half with all five goals being scored. Diogo Jota was twice on the scoresheet for Liverpool, but was pegged back on both occasions by Neco Williams and Morgan Gibbs-White. However, it was Mohamed Salah who eventually scored the winning goal for Jürgen Klopp's side, much to the relief of the Anfield faithful.
With just seven matches left to play in the Premier League, every game is crucial for Liverpool's chances of success. Their next five fixtures are against West Ham (A), Tottenham (H), Fulham (H), Brentford (H), and Leicester City (A). As they head into this crucial phase of the season, set-pieces could prove to be a valuable avenue for the Reds. Throughout the match against Nottingham Forest, Liverpool looked dangerous from set-pieces. A Trent Alexander-Arnold free-kick swung in for Virgil van Dijk produced the first real chance of the game, forcing the Forest goalkeeper Keylor Navas to tip the ball over the bar.
Liverpool's prowess from set-pieces continued, as they had several more chances throughout the match. The movement of Alexander-Arnold from right-back into midfield had a knock-on effect further up the pitch, with a line of four attackers consisting of Jota, Gakpo, Salah, and Curtis Jones. Gakpo could often be found dropping deep into midfield to take part in the buildup, while Jordan Henderson would occasionally move up to make it a line of five attackers. Klopp commented recently that the games towards the end of this season are useful for planning for next, so it looks like the Trent-in-midfield experiment is here to stay.
Liverpool's ability to defend from the front will be crucial to their chances of success in the remaining matches. The impact of Alexander-Arnold's movement on the rest of the team's shape, both in terms of attacking play and defensive duties, will be key. The delivery from both full-backs, Alexander-Arnold and Andy Robertson, was impressive throughout the match against Nottingham Forest, and they will need to maintain this level of performance in the upcoming fixtures.
With three points secured, attention now turns to the upcoming fixtures against West Ham and Tottenham. Both matches are crucial to Liverpool's hopes of qualifying for the Champions League, and they will need to be at their best to secure positive results. As the season reaches its climax, every match is a must-win for Liverpool, and they will be looking to build on their recent victory against Nottingham Forest to propel themselves up the table.
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