Liverpool's Familiar Frustration: Why the Reds Can't Close the Door

Kieran Gibbs nailed it. That 2-2 draw at Anfield against Tottenham? It was Liverpool's season in a nutshell. Up 2-0 after 40 minutes, cruising, and then they just… stopped. Son Heung-min pulls one back right before halftime, and Richarlison bags a stoppage-time equalizer for Spurs. It feels like we've watched this movie before, a lot.

Think back. Fulham on opening day – up 2-1, concede a late penalty, draw 2-2. Crystal Palace a week later – Nunez red card, another draw. Brighton at home, October 1st – up 2-1, concede in the 83rd minute, draw 3-3. Leeds United, that disastrous 2-1 loss at Anfield, came off a similar vibe where Liverpool just couldn't put the game away despite creating chances. They've dropped 16 points from winning positions in the league this season. Sixteen! That's not a blip; that's a systemic issue.

Here's the thing: you can talk about the midfield all you want – and yes, it’s been thin, especially with Thiago and Fabinho looking a step slower. But it’s more than just a lack of legs in the middle. The defense has been shockingly porous by their own high standards. They've conceded 42 goals in 34 league games this season, compared to 26 goals in 38 games last year when they finished second. Virgil van Dijk, once an impenetrable force, has looked beatable too often. He was directly involved in Spurs' first goal, getting caught out of position. Trent Alexander-Arnold, for all his attacking brilliance, still gets targeted defensively. This isn't the suffocating, relentless Liverpool we've known.

You wonder if it’s a mental block, a crisis of confidence when the opposition starts pushing back. Against Spurs, after those early goals from Curtis Jones and Luis Díaz, it almost felt like they collectively thought the job was done. Jurgen Klopp’s teams usually thrive on intensity for 90 minutes. This year, it’s been more like 60 or 70. They’re conceding first in games more often, too, something that rarely happened in their title-winning seasons. They’ve gone behind in 15 league matches, and while they've shown resilience to come back in some, it saps energy, and eventually, it catches up to you.

The fact they’re still even *in* the Champions League hunt after such a disjointed season is a minor miracle, largely thanks to a recent uptick in form before the Spurs game, including a 1-0 win over Fulham on May 3rd. But truthfully, they don't deserve it. My hot take? They're better off missing out on the Champions League this season. It forces a complete reset, a genuine rebuild that can’t be papered over with the allure of elite European football. They need to find that spark again, that fire that made them so terrifying. That draw against Tottenham was a stark reminder of how far they have to go.

Bold prediction: Liverpool finishes outside the top four for the first time since the 2015-16 season.