UNSEEN: WHAT THE REFEREE TOLD HUGO EKITIKé AFTER THAT CONTROVERSIAL PENALTY SHOUT TODAY
Arne Slot suffers his first 0-0 draw as Liverpool boss. Read how Leeds stifled Anfield and Alisson reached a 100 clean sheet milestone.
Anfield saw two unbeaten records stay intact, but only one team left feeling good about it. Leeds managed to stifle Liverpool, resulting in Arne Slot's first goalless draw as manager, a game that showed the limitations still present despite the team's recent progress.
The dull 0-0 draw, Slot's first in 84 Liverpool games, was largely due to Jaka Bijol and Pascal Struijk's strong defense, along with Liverpool's struggle to break down Leeds' compact setup. Liverpool's chances were limited, and some boos could be heard at Anfield as the final whistle blew on a lackluster performance.
Before the game, Farke surprised everyone by leaving out Dominic Calvert-Lewin. The in-form forward had scored seven goals in six games, but given his past injury issues at Everton, the Leeds manager didn't want to risk a player who's key to their season's goals.
If I don't use the whole squad with a schedule like this, it won't work, Farke said. I have to protect a player like Dominic. We know he's had some tough years recently. He's in great form, but I need to look out for him, and sometimes you have to think with your head, not your heart. This reasonable plan was hurt by Lukas Nmecha's limited impact as Calvert-Lewin's replacement for 70 minutes.
Liverpool struggled when Farke switched to a 4-3-3 formation at Elland Road. Containing Liverpool was the main goal at Anfield, with a 3-5-2 formation. Aside from a few scares from Hugo Ekitiké, Leeds succeeded in a fairly uneventful first half. The visitors started strong, testing Liverpool with several early corners that Slot's team (now without a set-piece coach after Aaron Briggs' departure) managed to clear. After that, Liverpool controlled possession, with Jeremie Frimpong standing out on the right. Liverpool's play had more energy and accuracy than usual, but clear chances were still hard to come by.
Slot's team had three chances to score in the first half, all involving Ekitiké. After a good exchange with Curtis Jones, the French player cut inside Gabriel Gudmundsson and forced Lucas Perri to make a save at his near post. The Leeds goalkeeper bobbled the shot, and James Justin made a timely intercept to stop Florian Wirtz from scoring the rebound.
Leeds, now under pressure, almost got caught out by Ibrahima Konaté's long ball. Ekitiké broke free from Bijol, who then held the forward as he entered the area. Ekitiké stayed on his feet and passed to Wirtz, who was stopped by another good challenge from Justin. The striker's penalty appeals were turned down by the referee, Chris Kavanagh.
Ekitiké's frustration grew when he missed his best chance. After Frimpong retrieved an Andy Robertson cross and sent the ball back into Leeds' six-yard box, the striker headed the ball poorly, hitting Perri while facing an open goal. Frimpong's cross was fast, and Ekitiké was likely surprised it reached him, but a player of his talent would usually score that.
Leeds' best chance came from an Alisson mistake. The Liverpool keeper made a bad clearance, sending the ball straight to Ethan Ampadu, who shot it back towards Alisson's goal. The Brazilian recovered just in time to save his own error. A small positive for Alisson was his 100th clean sheet in the league for Liverpool. He's only the fifth goalkeeper in the club's history to reach that mark, following Ray Clemence, Bruce Grobbelaar, Pepe Reina, and Elisha Scott.
The game became messy, with not much quality or excitement. Dominik Szoboszlai, back from a one-game suspension against Wolves, tested Perri from a distance. The keeper palmed away Szoboszlai's shot, and Ampadu handled the rebound while trying to clear it, giving Liverpool a free kick 19 yards out. Wirtz's weak attempt, hitting straight into the Leeds wall, summed up the game. Ampadu was booked for the handball and will miss the next game against Manchester United due to suspension.
Slot made three substitutions in the 66th minute to try and add some urgency to Liverpool's play. Soon after, Virgil van Dijk almost celebrated his eighth anniversary of joining Liverpool by heading in a goal from a Szoboszlai corner. The header bounced just wide of Perri's top corner.
Calvert-Lewin thought he had continued his scoring form and given Leeds the lead from Gudmundsson's cross in the 81st minute. The striker beat Van Dijk and Alisson to Sebastiaan Bornauw's pass before scoring from close range, but he was slightly offside. Anton Stach also threatened the visitors late on, but after his first shot from substitute Noah Okafor's cross was blocked, he skied the second attempt.
MOHAMED SALAH SET TO LEAVE LIVERPOOL: FENERBAHCE PREPARE STUNNING THREE-YEAR CONTRACT OFFER
After a decade at Anfield, Mohamed Salah's next move is the talk of football. Will he join Messi or stay in European leagues?
Mohamed Salah looks set to leave Liverpool this summer, and it sounds like he wants to stay in Europe. One of the hottest rumours right now is about Fenerbahçe; they’re ready to offer him a three-year deal worth around £52 million. That’s a huge pay packet, but probably not as big as what he’d get in Saudi Arabia.
Salah’s been on Merseyside for almost a decade, and it’s hard to overstate just how much he’s done for Liverpool. Since joining in 2017 with Jurgen Klopp in charge, he’s picked up two Premier League titles, a Champions League medal, an FA Cup, and two League Cups. Pretty impressive, honestly. But this season hasn’t gone his way, and new boss Arne Slot dropped him for a few games after his form dipped. When Salah announced in March that he’d be leaving, people started up with transfer rumours right away.
In recent years, clubs from the Saudi Pro League have shown considerable interest. Last year, Al Ittihad went as far as slapping a £150 million offer on the table, but Liverpool turned it down.
Now the story goes that Salah wants to stay in Europe even though he’d pocket way more in Saudi Arabia. Reports out of Egypt claim Fenerbahce, managed by Jose Mourinho’s old club, have already sat down with Salah’s agent. They apparently laid out their big plans, offering £17.3 million a year with a three-year contract, and they want to build the team around him to end their league title drought stretching back to 2014.
There’s also talk of Real Madrid getting involved. Still, their transfer policy usually steers clear of handing massive contracts to players pushing the end of their careers, even superstars like Salah. Clubs in Italy, like Roma, Juventus, and Inter Milan, are keeping tabs on him too. And just to make things more interesting, someone floated the idea of Salah joining up with Lionel Messi at Inter Miami in the MLS, though the league's salary cap throws a wrench into that.
At this point, everybody’s watching Salah’s next move; the only certainty is that he won’t be short of offers when he finally says goodbye to Liverpool.
WHY IS LIVERPOOL HESITATING TO HIRE XABI ALONSO DESPITE OVERWHELMING FAN SUPPORT?
Liverpool has contacted Real Madrid to investigate Xabi Alonso’s tenure, as pressure grows on current manager Arne Slot at Anfield.
Liverpool have reached out to Real Madrid to ask about Xabi Alonso, but honestly, there’s some debate going on behind the scenes. People have been talking about Alonso stepping in at Anfield, especially since Arne Slot’s season hasn’t gone over well. Fans let out some boos after that 1-1 draw with Chelsea, and the mood is pretty tense. Even though Slot led Liverpool to a league title last year, quite a few supporters seem fed up with him and would rather see Alonso take charge.
But Spanish outlet AS says Liverpool have contacted Real Madrid to get the inside scoop on what happened during Alonso’s time at the club. It sounds like the decision-makers at Liverpool are starting to feel unsure about him, and they might actually stick with Slot for another season.
Alonso landed the Real Madrid job last summer after doing wonders at Bayer Leverkusen. Still, just six months in, Madrid let him go, reportedly because the locker room was falling apart. Liverpool’s relationship with Real Madrid is strong, and they apparently want some honest feedback – kind of like asking for a reference from a past employer, which isn’t unusual.
Liverpool’s spot in next year’s Champions League is almost locked in, but with two games left, it’s not guaranteed yet. When asked about the boos, Slot admitted he has some work to do to win fans over.
He said, “Not this season. Fans won’t change their minds now. But if we get the summer we’re planning, I’m convinced we’ll be a different team next season. Results, style, everything. It’s not always easy, though. Sometimes you know what needs fixing, but getting what you want isn’t so simple. This season, it’s been pretty clear what we’re missing. We’re trying to solve it, but one issue is simply having enough fit players. Still, our guys show every week in the second half that they’re giving everything they’ve got.”
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