The reason why Liverpool's season is sliding off the rails

The Carabao Cup had been lifted by Bruno Guimaraes and Kieran Trippier, Eddie Howe had been drenched in alcohol by Joelinton, and the black-and-white hordes were starting to disperse when a manager reflected on a historic first. Not the victorious one, though. It took us seven, eight, nine months to lose twice in a row,” said Arne Slot. It is perhaps not a statistic to echo through the ages like Newcastle’s 70-year wait for domestic silverware or the 56-year gap between claiming any major honour.

- RICHARD JOLLY

It was nevertheless a way of illustrating Liverpool’s consistency this season. Slot’s pragmatic explanation underlined why trebles are rarities; within a week, Liverpool’s disappeared, replaced by a solitary pursuit of the Premier League. “You know if you go further into tournaments that the opposition get stronger and stronger and even Liverpool can lose games,” he added. It was notable he referred to Paris Saint-Germain, their first conquerors this week, as the best team in Europe.

That tag was applied to Liverpool in autumn. They haven’t looked it in March. They were distinctly second best in the first leg against PSG, albeit while winning it, and again against Newcastle in the Carabao Cup final. Perhaps the French champions softened Liverpool up for Newcastle, exhausting them by making them run for 120 minutes, further depressing them with Gianluigi Donnarumma’s excellence in the penalty shootout.

Liverpool looked drained at Wembley, even if Slot disagreed. “Were we on Tuesday mentally or physically tired?” he asked. “No. This game had nothing to do with running, only to do with duels.” Newcastle’s bruising physicality equipped them to win them. Liverpool looked overpowered in midfield.