As things have developed in recent weeks, Liverpool have little more to play for than keeping Aston Villa behind them in the table and securing third place.
The Champions League place is all but sealed after Tottenham lost to Arsenal on Sunday, and it will take a miracle for Spurs to sneak into the top four while the Reds fall out. Things will then get worse for Liverpool, while Tottenham win their remaining matches in a very convincing manner.
Liverpool have looked worn out and exhausted in recent weeks, and now luckily they get a bit more time between games.
Full week on the training field
The fact that Liverpool has participated in the Europa League and reached the final in the League Cup final has meant that the Reds have played a match in every midweek this spring – whether it has been Thursdays in the Europa League or Wednesdays in the Premier League.
This will be the first time since week seven that the Reds get a full week or more between games, and get time on the training field. It was between the home game against Burnley on 10 February and the away game against Brentford on 17 February. Since that game against Brentford, 17 games have been played. Battle every four days.
There were two weeks between the FA Cup match against Manchester United and the home match against Brighton at the end of March – but that was because of the national team break.
Set a new goal
It may have looked like Liverpool’s players and manager eventually felt the tremendous pressure to end this season so well that it just didn’t work out, with very tired legs and heads.
After the game against West Ham, the manager now talked about a new goal, and that was just to finish this season as well as possible.
– What do we have now? 75 points? 84 is possible, and I think it’s a good target for us to try. That will be my approach, and then we will see what it will mean, he says.
– It’s been a while since someone became champion with 84 points, I think. It is a long time ago. I’m sorry, but I don’t have better news for you.
The game against West Ham was the fourth away game in a row, and the fourth away game in ten days. On Sunday, Liverpool will return to Anfield, and then Tottenham will arrive. Hopefully for a game where the Reds have more energy than they have had in recent games.
