Newcastle United ended their quest for a trophy, marking a historic win over Liverpool in the Carabao Cup final on Sunday. The victory not only brought silverware to Newcastle but also broke a decade-long winless streak against the Reds. Liverpool's performance, riddled with fatigue and tactical shortcomings, was a stark contrast to Newcastle's determined display.
Liverpool's demanding schedule since the beginning of the year has seen them endure a punishing two-and-a-half-month period. This included their journey through both Carabao Cup semi-finals, the final, 11 Premier League matches, and three Champions League encounters. Despite this grueling schedule, Arne Slot, manager of Liverpool, denied that fatigue played any role in their lackluster performance.
"No, but this game had nothing to do with running."
Source: Arne Slot
Tactical Challenges and Key Performances
Liverpool's tactical approach was put to the test by Newcastle's strategic play. The most frequent passing combination for the Reds involved Virgil van Dijk supplying Andy Robertson, occurring 16 times throughout the match. Robertson's involvement was significant as he completed nearly double the number of final-third entries and passes compared to his counterpart, Jarell Quansah.
However, Liverpool struggled to make an impact in the attacking third. Mo Salah, usually a pivotal figure for the Reds, had an uncharacteristically quiet game. He registered just one touch in the Newcastle box and failed to record a single shot during the entire 90 minutes. This marked one of his least effective performances in almost eight years at Liverpool.
The team's reliance on Salah to influence the game was evident. His lack of presence was felt keenly as Liverpool failed to break through Newcastle's robust defense. Meanwhile, Ryan Gravenberch appeared out of sorts, eventually being repositioned to center-back just ten minutes into the second half.
Newcastle's Strategic Edge
Gary Neville highlighted Newcastle's effective use of corners, which neutralized Liverpool's defensive stalwarts Konate and Van Dijk. Their zonal marking system, typically reliable for Liverpool, was adeptly exploited by Newcastle.
"What they're doing with these corners is taking Konate and Van Dijk out of the game, they're in the six-yard box, protecting that area. But Burn, who's a giant, keeps coming round the back on (Kieran) Trippier's driven crosses."
Source: Gary Neville
Newcastle's ability to capitalize on set pieces was crucial in dismantling Liverpool's usual defensive strategies. Dan Burn's aerial prowess and strategic positioning during corners posed significant challenges to Liverpool's defense.
Arne Slot acknowledged the difficulties posed by Newcastle's tactics but maintained that fatigue was not a factor in their defeat.
"This game had only to do with playing duels and there was no intensity in terms of running in this game at all, so you cannot even judge it if we were tired, physically, because we could not press them."
Source: Arne Slot
Reflections on a Challenging Week
For Arne Slot, this match concluded what has been his most challenging week yet with Liverpool. The loss mirrored deeper issues within the squad as they struggled to maintain their form amid an intense schedule.
Liverpool's mixed marking system, which had generally served them well this season, proved vulnerable against Newcastle's well-executed strategies. Slot remained steadfast in his belief that their defeat stemmed from factors other than physical exhaustion.
"We play zonal, so we have five players, zonally, close to our goal, so if the ball falls there, there is always one of the five stronger players that is going to attack that ball. And we have three players that man-mark and [Alexis Mac Allister] is one of them."
Source: Arne Slot
Slot emphasized the need for Liverpool to refocus and adapt their tactics moving forward to better handle such challenges.
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