The headache grows stronger, duller, for a deflated Jurgen Klopp. A month and three defeats since eviscerating Manchester United, and Liverpool cannot even locate square one.
The chasm yawned on Saturday, Manchester City more than good yet Liverpool more than bad. Holes in midfield, defenders absent without leave. They took their fewest shots in a Premier League game since 2011.
Klopp, who suggested that City had shown them some mercy, said there were no redeeming features, and it means they are desperately hoping for a favour from Everton when they host Tottenham tonight. Not a great place to be in.
And it doesn’t stop, with a trip to Chelsea on Tuesday night in which something has to give for the division’s two ailing giants. Klopp’s squad came together to discuss problems on Sunday in a setting where Virgil van Dijk was expecting stern opinions to be exchanged.
‘It is a big day,’ the defender said. ‘If you’re losing the way we lost, then definitely there will be some hard talking.
Jurgen Klopp has held crisis talks with his players after Saturday’s 4-1 loss to Man City
‘The turnaround is quite quick, with Chelsea on Tuesday. We’re trying, we’re trying. The first half was quite even against City.’
They were under the pump before half-time but had gone in level, only to switch off from kick-off and concede 53 seconds after the restart. After that, there was no hiding place. City toyed with them for lengthy spells.
‘We were lucky they were not in the greediest mood,’ said a downcast Klopp. ‘Nothing good to say about this game.’
The sight of Mohamed Salah’s number flashing up on the fourth official’s board, with 20 minutes remaining and Liverpool two behind in the contest, spoke to how the afternoon played out.
Klopp had given up the ghost at 3-1, City mastering the ball and controlling their opponent. You simply do not take Salah off if there is any conviction of a way back into the game.
Standing on the edge of his technical area, Klopp earlier could not believe it when Andrew Robertson tried to pinch a ball that he was never going to reach, leaving their left side exposed.
Seconds later, Julian Alvarez had the ball in the net. Equally, when Trent Alexander-Arnold was not even in the picture when Kevin De Bruyne tapped home the second.
Trent Alexander-Arnold was one of several players to struggle at the Etihad
Man City’s dominant win just about keeps them in the title race with Arsenal
The right back was often seen high up the pitch when City had possession, with nobody ably filling the gap left behind. Alexander-Arnold did not cover himself in glory for Jack Grealish’s strike, not sprinting to recover the situation, although Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain was hardly blameless either.
It is little wonder that Liverpool concede more ‘big chances’ in games than any of the relegation-threatened clubs, averaging three a game. They look too open.
How he goes about fixing this is Klopp’s biggest challenge in eight years at Anfield. The squad requires surgery and it remains to be seen whether he is afforded the tools to oversee that.
On Saturday, there was no real energy or fight. It needs addressing in the short term, if they are to squeeze a way into the top four and qualify for the Champions League, but it is something they will be looking at in the summer. If only for new ideas and more fresh faces.