Michael Owen was critical of Liverpool trio Virgil van Dijk, Ibrahima Konate and Trent Alexander-Arnold for the role they played in Liverpool’s 1-0 defeat to Bournemouth on Saturday.
If there ever was a week that summed up Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool, then this was it.
Well and truly smoke Manchester United 7-0 in one of the most remarkable scorelines in Premier League history, but then lose to a team who, at the time, were sitting bottom of the league.
The issue with Liverpool is that, not only did they lose to Bournemouth and fall further behind in the race to secure a top-four finish, but it was a deserved loss.
That’s what will probably frustrate Klopp more, especially with their trip to Real Madrid in the Champions League coming up.
Nonetheless, it was Philip Billing, who scored against Arsenal last week during that dramatic defeat, who was on the scoresheet again, with Owen being left frustrated by Liverpool’s defenders, as he told Premier League Productions (11/03/23 at 1:25 pm).
“Virgil van Dijk ends up going in where you think he shouldn’t,” said Owen. “But then Konate can see the whole picture. Van Dijk has gone in with his man.
“I think it’s a 50-50, I think Konate tries to play offside when he can see everything in front of him and he needs to be sprinting back, as it is, van Dijk gets back in, then Billing and Alexander-Arnold at the back post.
“Trent Alexander-Arnold ends up coming to the back post, totally losing his man, and then it’s a simple finish in the end. I think Konate can do better (to stop the cross). But Trent completely loses his man. It’s a rubbish goal to give away.”
REAL MADRID NEXT
Given that Liverpool need three goals to save their Champions League hopes, it would be the comeback of all comebacks if they beat Real Madrid next week.
Perhaps the only positive for the Reds is the fact that the pressure is off them and they can just try to avoid a humiliation because they don’t want to be shipping five again.
But the bigger task is trying to rescue Champions League football for next season because their best chance is via the Premier League and now they are six points behind Tottenham Hotspur.
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