Darwin Nunez's last-second winner against Nottingham Forest last weekend said a lot about this Liverpool side, but then it also said very little; throwing in the towel is inconceivable to this remarkable squad.
The victory, Liverpool's sixth on the bounce in all competitions since a meek Premier League defeat at Arsenal at the start of February, has seen the Carabao Cup clinched, an FA Cup quarter-finals tie against Manchester United set up and the position at the summit of the top-flight protected.
Manchester City, imperious as always, travel to Anfield on Sunday in a league showdown for the ages, with the outfits a point apart and third-placed Arsenal one behind again – a draw on Merseyside would see the Gunners reclaim pole position, should they win against Brentford on Saturday.
But first, Liverpool must journey onto the continent to meet Sparta Prague in the first leg of their Europa League last 16 tie, with Jurgen Klopp's injury-hit side likely to shuffle around ahead of the weekend's critical juncture in the Premier League.
Liverpool team news vs Sparta Prague
The big one. Liverpool are set to welcome Mohamed Salah back to the squad after the Egyptian talisman aggravated a muscular injury on his goalscoring return against Brentford in February.
Elsewhere, Nunez, Dominik Szoboszlai and Wataru Endo all made their returns last time out, all off the bench, and while Klopp will be wary of Sunday's contest, all three will play some part in the Czech Republic.
Jayden Danns is unavailable after suffering concussion against Forest, while a bloated injury list still contains Alisson Becker, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Curtis Jones, Diogo Jota, Thiago Alcantara, Stefan Bajcetic and Joel Matip.
Despite all these absentees, Klopp might be wise to place his midfield general, Alexis Mac Allister, on the bench this evening, given the variables surrounding the forthcoming period of action.
Why Alexis Mac Allister must be benched
Mac Allister joined Liverpool in a deal worth £35m last summer, having been the centrepiece in Brighton & Hove Albion's excellent season that bred European qualification and won the 2022 World Cup in Qatar to boot.
As per FBref, the dynamo ranks among the top 15% of midfielders across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for assists and shot-creating actions, the top 18% for passes attempted, the top 20% for progressive passes and the top 5% for blocks per 90, highlighting his rounded skill set and influence as the orchestrator in the centre.
This doesn't even paint the full picture by half, with Mac Allister's elite technical quality, his tenacity, his drive, all combining to place the woes of the 2022/23 campaign firmly in the past.
Liverpool's midfield was stagnant and sapped of strength but no more, with the 25-year-old praised for his "outstanding" level of performance by correspondent Neil Jones.
In the top flight, as per Sofascore, Mac Allister has posted two goals and four assists across 22 matches, completing 88% of his passes, completing 63% of his dribbles and averaging 2.7 tackles, 1.2 key passes, 5.7 ball recoveries and 5.6 successful duels per game.
But, with so many players sidelined over recent weeks, the £150k-per-week ace has played relentlessly and will now need to be rested, with Endo likely to assume a starting berth as the midfield anchor.
Not the only player needing a rest, Klopp might be inclined to return Andy Robertson to the bench this evening. The Scottish left-back has been beset with injury this season and while he has demonstrated much of his trademark prowess since returning in January, he's still a little rusty.
Why Klopp must ditch Andy Robertson
Robertson has been a staple of Liverpool's success throughout the Klopp era but he was felled by injury in the early stage of the current campaign and thus has been unable to hit his apex.
Having amassed 283 appearances under Klopp's guidance after signing from Hull City for £10m back in 2017 (an acquisition met with some raised eyebrows), Robertson has won it all and is currently tied with Alexander-Arnold as the highest-assisting defender in Premier League history, with 58 assists.
GK – Simon Mignolet
RB – Joe Gomez
CB – Joel Matip
CB – Ragnar Klavan
LB – Andy Robertson
DM – Jordan Henderson
CM – James Milner
CM – Gini WIjnaldum
RW – Roberto Firmino
LW – Sadio Mane
CF – Daniel Sturridge
Last time out, against Nottingham Forest, the Liverpool Echo's Ian Doyle branded him with a 5/10 match score, writing: 'Somewhat loose with some of his passing first half which led to at least one Forest opening. Missed a great chance second half. Booked and subbed.'
Lest we forget, Robertson has only started four games since returning from a long-term absence due to shoulder surgery suffered on international duty in October, and he hasn't exactly been abject since his comeback, rather, a shade off the pace while still upholding his energy, determination and creativity.
For example, he might have been criticised for his output at the City Ground but the statistics certainly don't muddy his performance too badly, with the Scotland captain winning four of his six contested duels, making two tackles, completing 89% of his passes and creating four key passes.
However, the 29-year-old did miss a glorious opportunity while indeed culpable for some questionable defending at times, ceding possession on 15 occasions. Given that he also failed to attempt a single dribble that has become a staple of his performance on Liverpool's left flank over the years, he will need to improve.
In his stead, Kostas Tsimikas should start, with the versatile Joe Gomez likely required in his natural right-back position to give Conor Bradley a rest before the Manchester City fixture.
Klopp benches Mac Allister in Liverpool predicted XI vs Sparta Prague
The Reds travel to the Czech Republic in the first leg of their Europa last 16 tie tomorrow evening.
ByAngus Sinclair Mar 6, 2024
Tsimikas is only just back from injury himself but he provided the assist for Virgil van Dijk's winning goal in the Carabao Cup final and ranks among the top 7% of full-backs across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for assists, the top 9% for shot-creating actions, the top 17% for progressive carries and the top 18% for interceptions per 90.
He can more than hold his own against Železná Sparta, who will seek to fight fire with fire and, as such, Liverpool will need to ensure their creative and offensive output holds up.
Manchester City might lurk round the corner but Klopp will have full focus on securing a result in Prague. While he will have to rotate, Liverpool have the players to succeed.
