Liverpool has a chance of making the Champions League spots again, with their six points against Everton and Newcastle seeing Jürgen Klopp’s best playmaker return.
Seemingly from nowhere, Liverpool has put themselves back into contention again. Looking like they may never score again in games with Brighton and Chelsea in January, the Reds have found a groove.
Against Everton and Newcastle, Jürgen Klopp’s side was not perfect, but did get six vital points. They now find themselves within six points of Champions League-chasing Newcastle with a game in hand.
Between now and the end of the season, though, Liverpool’s hopes of overhauling Newcastle, Tottenham and the other teams that they need to beat in the top-four race, five stars are going to need to at least maintain the form they showed this week.
Alisson Becker
Liverpool’s best player against Newcastle, Alisson made some superb saves, with the one-vs-one stop from Miguel Almirón at 0-0 a pivotal moment.
With the midfield playing as it is (much better than the last few months, but still not perfect), Alisson is going to have to continue to make big stops over the next few weeks if Liverpool is going to get themselves into a run of victories.
Real Madrid will get chances and Alisson is going to have to make more big saves then.
Trent Alexander-Arnold
Some of the passes that Liverpool’s chief on-ball playmaker produced against Newcastle — not least the pass into Darwin Núñez for the opening goal — were utterly sublime.
The opening 20 minutes of the game (until Nick Pope’s moment of madness) saw Liverpool play very well, and they were worse against 10 men than 11.
Alexander-Arnold will take heart from his passing range returning, though. Liverpool is so reliant on his deliveries for creating chances to score that his form could hold the key to Champions League football being secured.
On this evidence, he was back to his best, but that needs to continue.
Fabinho and Jordan Henderson
Neither Fabinho nor Henderson would say that they have had the season they wanted to have in the center of Liverpool’s midfield, with both appearing to be suffering from exhaustion and being overplayed.
Cody Gakpo celebrates scoring with his Liverpool teammates. (Image: Photo by Andrew Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
The duo were given some time off recently and came back rejuvenated, but with Thiago Alcântara out and Stefan Bajčetić only 18, they are going to have to play a lot of minutes again soon.
Liverpool is going to need them to be able to cope with the demands placed on them to qualify for the top European competition.
Mohamed Salah
Looking back to his best against Newcastle for a period, Salah was popping up all over the pitch and linking well with fellow forwards Núñez and Cody Gakpo.
Of course, all of the attacking players who are fit will have a big role to play in scoring goals, with Diogo Jota and Roberto Firmino also back and Luis Díaz hoping to return next month.
But Salah is the main man for Liverpool — the highest-paid player in their history — and much expectation will be placed on his shoulders either to create or find the back of the net himself.
