A look at Liverpool's season as Jurgen Klopp's Reds travel to face Sparta Prague
Overhaul in midfield
Having narrowly missed out on a historic quadruple in the 2021/22 campaign, Liverpool were expected to continue challenging on all four fronts last season.
That didn’t prove to be the case, however, with Jurgen Klopp’s men stumbling to a fifth-placed finish in the Premier League and a heavy defeat to Real Madrid in the Champions League last 16.
There were several explanations offered by supporters, pundits and ex-players to help make sense of the Reds’ remarkable drop-off - none more so than the damning assessment of Liverpool’s ageing, injury-prone midfield.
Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain were the first to leave the club following the expiry of their contracts in the summer before club captain Jordan Henderson and Fabinho both made big-money moves to the Saudi Pro League.
A drastic overhaul was needed, and the rebuild got off to a flying start with the signings of World Cup winner Alexis Mac Allister and Hungary captain Dominik Szoboszlai.
After the failed pursuits of Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia - both of whom joined Chelsea - experienced Japanese international Wataru Endo made the switch before long-term target Ryan Gravenberch followed suit on the final day of the transfer window.
Adapting to a demanding, high-octane style of play such as Klopp’s can always take time, but it didn’t take long for the youthful exuberance and quality of Mac Allister, Szoboszlai and Gravenberch to reinvigorate Liverpool’s previously depleted ‘engine room’.
After a slightly more challenging bedding-in period, Endo also began to show his quality in the number six position - adding an extra layer of protection to a much-improved backline marshalled by the impenetrable and new club captain Virgil van Dijk.
Add into the mix the outstanding performances of Curtis Jones and Harvey Elliott, and Liverpool have turned a glaring weakness into one of their biggest strengths - in the space of 12 months.
Youngsters stepping up
Despite sitting atop the Premier League table and losing just one of their last 18 matches across all competitions, it hasn’t all been plain sailing for Liverpool in recent months.
Key first-team players such as Alisson, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Mohamed Salah have all faced lengthy spells on the sidelines, while Joel Matip and Thiago Alcantara are unlikely to feature again before the end of the campaign.
Further injuries to Jones, Szoboszlai, Diogo Jota and Darwin Nunez have left Liverpool with a threadbare squad in the last couple of weeks, but Klopp has navigated his way through a crucial run of games - thanks in large to a number of youngsters from the club’s academy.
Conor Bradley, 20, and Jarell Quansah, 21, have barely put a foot wrong in defence, while James McConnell, Bobby Clark, both 19, and Lewis Koumas, 18, have provided some important cameos in midfield to give the likes of Endo and Mac Allister much-needed rests.
Liverpool-born Jayden Danns, 18, is another academy graduate who’s taken his opportunity, with the youngster impressing from the substitutes’ bench in the EFL Cup final victory over Chelsea before scoring his first goals for the club with a brace against Southampton in the FA Cup.
Having stepped up to the plate in the absence of key personnel, Klopp will have no qualms about continuing to use his talented group of ‘kids’ heading into the business end of the season - even with several first-teamers nearing full returns.
The squad depth at the German’s disposal is the strongest it’s ever been during his tenure at the club, providing a perfect opportunity for Klopp to end his trophy-laden reign with yet more silverware.
Never write-off Nunez
A bit of a theme that has developed this term is a 'never-say-die' attitude from Liverpool, which has been an on-and-off staple throughout the years.
One moment that is fresh in the memory is from Nunez, who scored a dramatic match-winning goal in the 99th minute against Nottingham Forest last week.
Liverpool won the match 1-0 after their hosts put in an admirable attempt to claim a point for themselves and dent the Reds' Premier League title charge.
Under Klopp, Liverpool have often adopted the nickname 'Mentality Monsters' because of their habit of staying in matches until the final whistle and grind out results.
History has shown that this is symptomatic of a team that wins silverware - think Manchester United 20 or so years ago and 'Fergie Time'.
This season, though, it's Nunez who is really carrying the flag for the 'Mentality Monsters' of Liverpool.
The Uruguayan has scored more match-winning goals than any other player in the Premier League, which is staggering given his treatment by some vocal opinions in football.
With his goal against Nottingham Forest, Nunez claimed his sixth match-winning goal in the English top tier this term.
For the sake of comparison, Manchester City's Erling Haaland and Aston Villa star Ollie Watkins have five match-winners to their names.
