Have Liverpool run out of steam?
Losing derby matches is tough to take. It is even more difficult to come to terms with when it becomes something that rarely happens. When you then factor in the harm it does to your Premier League title ambitions, it becomes a cocktail for catastrophe.
As expected, Liverpool had large periods of the game where they dominated the possession. They created some really good opportunities, notably for Luis Diaz and Darwin Nunez in the first half, but both chances were squandered.
Once again Mohamed Salah looked a shadow of the player who has been the scourge of Premier League defenders for such a long time. He is not lacking in terms of appetite, but his ability to change games in an instant has gone missing. Perhaps the injury he suffered during the Africa Cup of Nations proved more difficult to overcome than we imagined.
Diaz was as hungry as ever to contribute but you could perhaps tell it was not to be his night when he struck the post with a magnificent curling shot in the second half. By then, the damage had been done and Everton were 2-0 in front.
The defeat for Liverpool owed much to their inability to cope with Everton’s aerial prowess at set pieces. Their dominance of the far post was almost total, yet Liverpool failed to alter a tactical plan that was not working.
For Darwin Nunez, it was another night where he failed to make the most of chances afforded to him.
Earlier on in the campaign Liverpool were scoring goals from all over the pitch. Missing chances did not really matter, but now when the goals from elsewhere have dried up, it really does. Nunez needs to bring more composure to his finishing and he has to be more clinical.
While the defeat comes as a devastating blow to Liverpool’s title ambitions, it is worth remembering that at the start of the season, very few Reds fans saw their team as realistic title contenders. Given the seismic changes to the squad during the summer, this still has to be viewed as a season of progress and one that still ended with silverware in the trophy cabinet.
The onus on the players now is to make sure the season does not drift away. They have to get back on track and rediscover their desire and determination. Their season is not over yet. It cannot be.
They still have to battle for every point, starting at London Stadium on Saturday lunchtime.
