Arne Slot's side still have the opportunity to secure European qualification with a win against Brentford on the final day of the season. However, a repeat of the limp display witnessed at Villa Park would be exploited ruthlessly by any Premier League side.
Slot sent out an unusual lineup packed with ball-playing players, yet Liverpool repeatedly surrendered possession cheaply and were exposed on the counter-attack throughout the match.
Player Ratings
Goalkeeper
- Giorgi Mamardashvili — 5.0
- Offered little reassurance with the ball at his feet or when venturing beyond his penalty area. Denied Ollie Watkins but hardly covered himself in glory.
Defenders
- Ibrahima Konaté — 5.4
- Appeared to be playing with a case of vertigo, constantly off balance and unsteady throughout.
- Milos Kerkez — 5.7
- Up against John McGinn, who prides himself on his physicality, Kerkez was repeatedly pinned defensive and struggled to assert any influence on proceedings.
Midfielders
- Ryan Gravenberch — 6.1
- Sauntered around the pitch on a balmy late spring afternoon. There was a lazy layer of doziness to his game.
- Alexis Mac Allister — 5.9
- A thoroughly underwhelming outing epitomized by his failed and embarrassing attempt to get Ezri Konsa sent off.
- Dominik Szoboszlai — 7.8
- The Hungarian was not the only player to lose his footing, but his slip proved most costly. Balanced his performance with two assists for Virgil van Dijk.
Forwards
- Curtis Jones — 7.7
- Shunted out onto the right wing, the natural midfielder was tasked with stretching the pitch. However, this only served to take him out of the action.
- Cody Gakpo — 6.0
- Each chance afforded seemed merely another opportunity for his confidence to take another dent.
- Rio Ngumoha — 7.2
- Constantly demanded possession and used every touch to drive directly towards goal.
Substitutes
- Federico Chiesa (67' for Gomez) — 6.1
- Florian Wirtz (67' for Gravenberch) — 6.1
- Mohamed Salah (76' for Gakpo) — 6.1
Unused substitutes: Freddie Woodman, Andy Robertson, Trey Nyoni, James McConnell, Mor Talla Ndiaye, Will Wright.
What These Ratings Tell Us
This was Cody Gakpo's eighth Premier League appearance as a striker this season. His record stands at one goal, highlighting the individual and collective struggles when the left winger lines up through the middle. If Gakpo had the instincts of a striker, he would not have been cheaply caught offside when denied the opening goal midway through the first half.
Slot took a leaf out of Unai Emery's tactical playbook by fielding a natural central midfielder on the flank in Jones. It did not have the same effect, with the academy graduate almost entirely ineffective from his perch on the wing.