Liverpool labelled ‘average’ as Newcastle loss proves Slot’s side are only top of PL ‘for two reasons’
Presenter Richard Keys has revealed his verdict of Liverpool after they lost 2-1 against Newcastle United in the Carabao Cup final on Sunday afternoon.
Liverpool have surpassed all expectations during Arne Slot’s debut season at Anfield as they are set to win the Premier League title. They are 12 points clear of second-placed Arsenal with nine games remaining.
The Reds were also in contention for the Champions League and Carabao Cup before a miserable few days ended their hopes of winning each competition.
PSG overcame a first-leg deficit to beat Liverpool on penalties to reach the Champions League quarter-finals before Slot’s side were deservedly beaten 2-1 by Newcastle at Wembley in the Carabao Cup final.
Newcastle were comfortably the better side against Liverpool as they clearly wanted the Carabao Cup more, while the Reds appear to have run out of steam.
Speaking after Liverpool’s loss at Wembley, Keys claimed this defeat proves they are “average” and only top of the Premier League “for two reasons”.
“I’ve had no idea all season how good this Liverpool team were. This week told us a lot. They’re average,” Keys tweeted.
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“They’re top for two reasons – they had a great start and because every other challenger went backwards. Slot has discovered English football isn’t so easy after all.”
Speaking before Liverpool faced PSG and Newcastle last week, Keys said in his blog: “There’s something very odd about the PL this season – the worst I can remember since the league was formed back in 1992.
“One or two of you didn’t like it when I said a couple of weeks ago we could give the trophy to Liverpool. How about now? Agree yet?
“There simply isn’t a challenge. There hasn’t been a genuine challenger to Arne Slot’s team all season. That’s why I’ve said – time and again – I don’t know how good this Liverpool side is.
“Look. They’re top and deserve to be so. They’ve won it because they’ve been better than the rest. But there hasn’t really been a ‘rest’. There hasn’t been a test.”
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When asked whether the manner of Liverpool’s loss to Newcastle is a worry, Slot answered: “We were outplayed in their style, yeah, that’s true. That is what you can call outplayed.
“Yeah, [Newcastle] won more duels than us. Is that what you mean? Is that outworking? Or is that one of their biggest qualities to play so much [with] aerial duels and to win these physique duels?
“Outplayed for me is if you don’t touch the ball and they play through you every single time we tried to press them, every time you’re too late. That is for me outplayed.
“But I agree with you if you say that they deserved to win because the game went in the way they wanted it to go. Yes, they deserved to win, but it wasn’t like we were only running after them. We had to defend a lot of long balls [and] second balls and that’s their strength.”
