Hits and misses: Did Liverpool show where they need to strengthen?

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Did Liverpool show where they need to strengthen?

The 3-1 defeat at Chelsea will do little to trouble Liverpool as they celebrated their deserved title. But if anyone was questioning what Arne Slot’s side may have looked like with a few injuries, then that performance was it.

There were probably some party-related reasons for Liverpool’s flat performance and a lower intensity than normal, but Arne Slot wanted to use these final four games to help him plan for the summer. Those he brought into the team at Stamford Bridge failed to impress.

The entire midfield was changed and the trio of Wataru Endo, Curtis Jones and Harvey Elliott could not cope with their Chelsea counterparts, notably Romeo Lavia and Cole Palmer who ran the show.

Jones slipped in the build-up to Chelsea’s first, Elliott was hauled off after the Blues’ second – and Endo showed he, at 32, will struggle to replicate what Ryan Gravenberch did brilliantly all season.

At the top end of the pitch, Diogo Jota was anonymous with just 13 touches – he has one league goal in 2025 – while Darwin Nunez missed two good openings after coming on. At least he managed one more touch than Jota.

None had a worse outing though than Jarell Quansah, with one own goal and one penalty conceded in a disappointing and unconvincing display at centre-half, one that was reminiscent of his opening-day struggles at Ipswich.

And with Kostas Tsimikas failing to ease Liverpool’s left-back woes, that looks like four areas Liverpool could strengthen this summer. Left-back, centre-back, midfield and striker – and don’t forget a right-back if Trent Alexander-Arnold departs, as expected.
Sam Blitz

Why do Man Utd’s Premier League struggles persist?

Bilbao or bust has been the mantra at Manchester United for some time. Watching them fall to a 16th league defeat of the season as they lost 4-3 at Brentford, their most for 35 years, made that abundantly clear. But there is something more behind their struggles.

Ruben Amorim named the third-youngest team in Premier League history at Brentford. Considering United’s recent domestic form, and the eight changes made after Thursday’s win over Athletic Club, defeat was almost inevitable, strange as that sounds.

Everything, understandably, is focused on the Europa League. That doesn’t answer the question of why United, the only undefeated side in European competition, haven’t beaten a team that will be playing top-flight football next season since January 26.

Since that 1-0 win at Fulham, sealed thanks to Lisandro Martinez’s deflected strike, United have played 10 teams outside the bottom three and failed to win against any of them. They still had a round left of the Europa League league phase after that win.

Meanwhile, in Europe United have overcome Real Sociedad and Lyon. Barring a shock collapse, not something you would put past this group, you can add Athletic Club to that list. Then they are one game from a European trophy. Puzzling.

The defeat at Brentford, although not the fairest game to draw conclusions from, served up a perfect example of the problems plaguing Amorim in the Premier League: United were simply unable to cope with Brentford’s physicality, pace and direct football.

Regardless of who was picked, as this season has shown us, those same vulnerabilities would remain.

Amorim has inherited a squad ill-equipped to cope with the rigours of English football. Those squad-building missteps must be corrected this summer, particularly if Champions League qualification is secured, otherwise Amorim will see no improvement.
Zinny Boswell

Can Isak catch Salah in Golden Boot race?

Alexander Isak must have felt like his moment would never come in Newcastle’s 1-1 draw at Brighton. Twice he had picked up the ball thinking he was about to have a free shot at goal from 12 yards after referee Craig Pawson had pointed to the spot. VAR ruined Newcastle’s fun by spotting two incorrect calls from Pawson so it was looking like one of those days for Isak and his team.

But one more chance would come on 89 minutes when Pawson finally correctly spotted a legitimate penalty and Isak was in no mood to pass it up.

In scoring he became the first Newcastle United player to score 23 goals in a Premier League season since Alan Shearer in 2002 and now has 22 goals in his last 26 league appearances. There is still time to catch Mohamed Salah in the Golden Boot race, too. He is five back with three games to play and Salah has only scored once in his last six Premier League games. Stranger things have happened.
Lewis Jones

Verbruggen shows number one qualities again

There have been calls from some sections of the Brighton fans for goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen to be replaced.

Before the 1-1 draw with Newcastle, the Seagulls had conceded at least twice in each of their last six Premier League games and shipped 24 goals in their previous 11 league encounters. Verbruggen was not solely to blame but his lack of confidence and authority has not been helping his defenders. Brighton also have the worst save ratio in the Premier League this season (59.6 per cent).

However, Verbruggen put in his best performance of 2025 to repel Newcastle. Solid from set-pieces and looking much more composed under pressure, Verbruggen made four saves – the pick of which came in stoppage time to deny Callum Wilson a winning goal. If he can stay in this kind of form, Brighton’s defensive process and numbers should be back on the improve.
Lewis Jones

Tel puts case forward to start against Bodo/Glimt

Ange Postecoglou’s wholesale changes in Tottenham’s 1-1 draw at West Ham allowed those brought in to put forward their case to start in Thursday’s Europa League semi-final second leg at Bodo/Glimt – and Mathys Tel took it.

The French forward was Spurs’ most dangerous player at the London Stadium as he assisted Wilson Odobert’s opener after pressing West Ham defender Max Kilman into a mistake.

Tel attempted eight dribbles – the most of any player in the game – and had two shots, with only Jarrod Bowen having more.

It was another promising display from the on-loan Bayern Munich man, who is finding his feet out on the left wing for Spurs, with Postecoglou praising the 20-year-old in his post-match press conference.

He said: “He’s taken in the information and he understands the role now a little bit better, especially out on the left.

“These last few weeks, we’ve obviously had Sonny [Heung-Min Son] out. We’ve needed him to fill that void and I think he’s done that job well.”

If Tel were to start in Norway on Thursday, then it would be well deserved. And with more performances like this, Spurs will be keen to activate the £45m option to sign him permanently from Bayern.
Declan Olley

Kayode looking the real deal for Brentford

It took Michael Kayode just under three months to make his first start for Brentford after joining on loan from Fiorentina in January. Before then, there were fleeting glimpses of what he had to offer; eye-catching cameos that provided a taste of what was to come.

But he has started at right-back in the Bees’ last three games and been a key part of the team that has won three in a row for the first time since a run between October 21 and November 4 2023.

The 20-year-old looked eager to get forward from the very start during Man Utd’s visit to the Gtech and his boundless energy caused Amorim’s side problems – as did his monstrous throw-ins, as shown in the lead-up to Luke Shaw’s own goal.

Kayode completed the most dribbles (5) in the match, won the most duels (10) and finished with a 97 per cent pass accuracy, the most of any player to play 45 minutes or more. “He looked like he just enjoyed playing football,” said Thomas Frank afterwards.

There is surely no doubt Brentford will take up the option to make Kayode’s stay in west London permanent at the end of the season.
Dan Long

Hammers season fizzling out fast

If ever there was to be a day when things finally clicked into place for West Ham under Graham Potter, the visit of rivals Tottenham to the London Stadium was surely it.

The Hammers had a week to prepare for the London derby, a luxury compared to Spurs’ 64-hour turnaround from Thursday’s Europa League semi-final against Bodo-Glimt.

Spurs had more than an eye on Thursday’s return leg in Norway, Postecoglou’s eight pre-match alterations made that clear, so opportunity knocked for Potter’s beleaguered Hammers to end a seven-game wait for a victory.

Before a ball had been kicked, frustration summed up the mood among a fanbase who had not seen a victory since late February, but that turned to apathy come full-time.

Hoards headed for an early exit despite the scoreboard reading 1-1 with the prospect of a late derby victory still on the table.

The fact that was not enough to keep sections of the disgruntled fanbase in their seats shows just how deep West Ham’s rut is with three games left to salvage something from this season.
Jack Wilkinson

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