It doesn’t feel quite right that Liverpool is already out of the Champions League after having won its first seven matches to top the inaugural league phase.
For much of this season, it had been widely acknowledged that Liverpool was the best team in Europe, and Arne Slot’s men were the favorites to hoist the European Cup at one stage. Liverpool could have done no more to avoid a nightmare last-16 opponent — the Reds were just unlucky that PSG started the season slowly and thus had to go through a play-off round to secure its place in the knockout stage.
While Slot, his players, and indeed the supporters may well take a few days to get over the defeat, it is not a loss that should be catastrophized.
A reporter for one UK news outlet mentioned how Liverpool must now bounce back and win the Carabao Cup to avoid ending up with “just the title.”
Most teams in world soccer would sign up to win their domestic league title and nothing else at the beginning of every season, and that is absolutely the case at Liverpool.
The Premier League title race is over: Liverpool will be crowned champion in May, and nothing that happens from here on out can render Slot’s maiden Reds campaign anything other than absolutely brilliant.
Going into this season, Liverpool was not among the favorites to win the league, with most soccer fans expecting the title race to be contested by Arsenal and Manchester City for a third campaign in succession.
(Image: Getty Images)
Liverpool’s inactivity in the summer transfer window was a concern, with principal target Martin Zubimendi rejecting a switch to Anfield in order to stay at Real Sociedad and Federico Chiesa arriving from Juventus as the only outfield signing. Chiesa has barely played, so Slot has essentially managed to win the league with a group of players that was exclusively assembled by another manager.
That reflects well on Jurgen Klopp in terms of the German’s legacy, and it reflects well on Slot and how he has managed to implement his style so quickly.
Slot modestly said on multiple occasions earlier in the season that his job had been made easier by how similar his predecessor’s tactics were to his own, but taking over from a legendary manager is never easy and Slot has done a sterling job.
Another chance to win the Champions League will come around again next season, but for the next few weeks the focus should be on Slot and his players’ memorable achievements from the current campaign.
