8 months ago
139 
After the Reds cruise into the Europa League quarter finals, we dig into the winners, losers and narratives on the night.
An improbable task was quickly turned into an impossible one for Sparta Prague tonight, as a relentless and ruthless Liverpool side turned mistakes into goals and ended any hope of a comeback for the visitors before ten minutes were up. Players who needed minutes got to play, players who needed rest got to sit on the bench, and 20-year old Mateusz Musiałowski got his senior debut for the club with a 20-minute came as the Reds ran passing drills in the closing stages of an 11-2 aggregate rout.
Below, then, a quick word on the winners and losers on the night.
Winners
Egyptian King: With his goal tonight, Mohamed Salah took his tally to 20 on the season, reaching that benchmark for the 7th consecutive season in Red, a feat no other player has managed in the club’s 132-year history.
The man dubbed a one-season wonder in many quarters after he broke the single-season Premier League goalscoring record in his first year at the club has defied doubters and critics, and is in fact putting up his best underlying numbers ever, as he takes on an ever more expansive creative role, exemplified by his hat-trick of assists on the night, with the 31-year old setting up Bobby Clark, Cody Gakpo and Dominik Szoboszlai for goals in the rout.
This writer made the claim as recently as this week that with Mohamed Salah — arguably the best player in the league before his AfCoN absence and injury — back in the team, having managed 12 wins from 15 without him, Liverpool look primed to win everything on offer in the coming two months. Mo did not make me reconsider tonight.
A Quick Death: Ever since the transition party that was the 2017-18 season Champions League run opened the eyes of the world to the fact that Liverpool were well and truly back, Jürgen Klopp has increasingly had to train his side to break down stubborn low blocks with patient approach play, and as a result, the Reds have developed into something of a slow-starting team, often taking only a shot or two in the early phase of the game, then gradually ramping up until the dam eventually begins to break.
Consequently, the first ten minutes have often been when Liverpool have conceded, as opposition teams, well aware that allowing the Reds time to turn the screw will only have one outcome, attempt to pour it on early, hoping that an early goal will be something to hang onto for the duration. This season, the Reds have conceded the first goal in 12 of their 28 Premier League games — and come back to take 20 points from those positions — a handicap they have largely overcome, but that they could absolutely do without.
While last week, Sparta looked dangerous in the early going, they never stood a chance this time round. Three goals in three minutes put the Czechs to the sword immediately, while the fourth before 15 minutes were up merely put a bow on things, turning the remainder of the contest into a training session with an audience.
It would be surprising if hot starts were something Klopp had added to his team at this point, but if tonight’s data point were to become a trend, the Reds look more intimidating than ever.
Artur Manuel Ribeiro Soares Dias: Added zero minutes in the first half and one in the second, did the ref. We appreciate a man who understands the bigger picture. Solid night on the job as well.
Losers
The Others: Literally anybody trying to compete with these Reds right now. Liverpool have come through a season littered with injury troubles, players settling in and children making their debuts with a trophy, a pair of quarter-finals, and a clean run at a Premier League title, and they are looking more fluid and consistent on either side of the ball than at any other point in the year.
There are a maximum of 18 games left in the 2023-24 season, and you wouldn’t fancy being the team facing these lads in Red in any of them.
What Happens Next
The Reds find out who they will face in the Europa League quarter-finals — which take place on April 11th and 18th — tomorrow, before they travel to Manchester to take on the old enemy in the FA Cup quarter-finals on Sunday.
Then, the final international break of the season is upon us, providing the squad with an opportunity to get players back to full fitness, before the jam-packed last two months of the season kicks off with a visit from Brighton on March 31st.
