LONDON – One final has been booked, two more remain, and another Premier League title could be on the way. Liverpool are set to reach the limits this season after beating Fulham in the Carabao Cup semi-final to set up a clash with Chelsea at Wembley next month.
Liverpool’s 1-1 draw with Fulham at Craven Cottage on Wednesday, after a 2-1 win in the first leg at Anfield two weeks ago, ensured a replay of the Carabao Cup final in 2022 – when Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool beat Chelsea on penalties. To win the competition for the ninth time, which is a record.
Although Fulham hit the post through Andreas Pereira’s shot before Issa Diop equalized in the second half, Luis Diaz’s 11th-minute opener was enough to make it a comfortable night for Liverpool as they cruised to a 3-2 aggregate win.
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But will the trip to Wembley signal another surge in silverware this season? Or will it prove to be the beginning of a backlog of fixtures that robs Liverpool of the Premier League glory they so desperately want?
Klopp said about the congestion of matches caused by Liverpool’s victory: “There are worse situations, believe me, but in four days we will play against Norwich, then in three days we will play with Chelsea and then Arsenal in another four days.” “Imagine it’s us and all the games we have to play. We have five games to play before the final, and a few more games to come, but we are really looking forward to Wembley.”
Two years ago, Liverpool’s success in the Carabao Cup sparked a quest for a quadruple of wins with each of the four trophies available – the Carabao Cup, FA Cup, Premier League and Champions League – but in the end, they fell short. He won only local cups.
By also reaching the Champions League final before losing to Real Madrid in Paris, Liverpool completed 63 first-team appearances in the 2021-22 season – the maximum they can play. Signs are that it will happen again this time, albeit with Klopp’s side competing in the Europa League, which they are strong favorites to win, rather than the Champions League.
However, as Liverpool continue to stay afloat in all four competitions, the toll of trying to win them all becomes heavier.
Going back to the 2000-01 season, Gerard Houllier’s Liverpool also played 63 games as they achieved a trophy treble of domestic cups and the UEFA Cup – the predecessor to the Europa League – but finished a distant third in the league. .
But this time, Liverpool are top of the league and aiming to overcome the growing challenge facing Manchester City. The question facing Klopp and his players is whether they can handle the grueling fixture list and win it all, most notably the league title.
Liverpool came agonizingly close to achieving the quadruple two years ago, but three wins in their last six games in all competitions indicated fatigue, which began when Klopp needed his players to give their best.
But maybe Liverpool is stronger now.
They are certainly younger, with Jordan Henderson, Fabinho, James Milner, Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane all moving on in their 30s, and being replaced by players in their 20s such as Alexis McAllister, Dominik Szoboszlai, Ryan Gravenbrech, Darwin Nunez and Cody Jacobo. Klopp can also rely on emerging youngsters Curtis Jones, Harvey Elliott and Connor Bradley to step up, while Diogo Jota and Luis Diaz have also established themselves in the past two years.
Against Fulham, Liverpool won without Mohamed Salah and Wataru Endo (both out for international duty) and injured duo Szoboszlai and Trent Alexander-Arnold. Meanwhile, full-back Andy Robertson was on the bench for the first time since dislocating his shoulder in October.
So, all of the above suggests that Liverpool have the depth to move forward on all fronts. But eliminating Fulham with a one-goal lead in the first leg is one thing. Winning consistently against stronger opponents in the coming weeks is a completely different challenge.
This is especially true with doubts about the severity of the hamstring injury that Salah suffered in the Africa Cup of Nations with Egypt. The latest update on Salah is that he faces up to a month out of action, so it’s not a huge blow to Liverpool’s prospects; But if he misses a full month, it would put his participation in the Carabao Cup final on February 25 in doubt.
Liverpool have won four and drawn one of their five matches since Salah left for the Africa Cup of Nations – they have lost just twice in 31 matches without Salah since he arrived at the club in 2017 – so his absence may not directly hurt the team. But with so many matches to come, problems arise if other strikers are injured and the team’s resources are stretched thin. That would be the fear for the Liverpool manager.
Klopp rarely focuses on the negative – never mind the early kick-off on Saturday – so he will likely be happy to see a team win without their star striker still going strong in four competitions. They have reached the Carabao Cup final and will face lower league opposition – EFL Championship Norwich City – in the next round of the FA Cup. There is no one in the European League competing with Liverpool as the favorite to win it.
Above all, Liverpool remain five points behind Manchester City, having played one more game, at the top of the Premier League, and Pep Guardiola’s side still visit Anfield this season.
Klopp will believe his team can win all four competitions for the first time in Liverpool’s history, and he is right to do so, regardless of the obstacles that stand in Liverpool’s way.
