The positives outweighed the negatives for Pochettino, even if he still has to address familiar failings in attack, and once the dust settled it was hard not to feel that the bigger concerns belonged to Jürgen Klopp.
Beyond Mohamed Salah's angry reaction to being taken off after an ineffective second-half display, what really hit home was how quickly Liverpool fizzled out after dominating the first 25 minutes. The system unravelled and, while Trent Alexander-Arnold and Alexis Mac Allister caught the eye with their passing from deep, it was easy to see why Klopp wants Moisés Caicedo so badly. Liverpool still lack stability in midfield, threatening their hopes of a title challenge, and there is no doubt that Caicedo would make them a far more rounded outfit.
Unfortunately for Klopp, of course, the expectation is that the Brighton midfielder will join Chelsea for £115m. They are set to break the British transfer record for the second time in six months, which perhaps explains why Pochettino keeps talking about needing to win now, and Caicedo will probably be an excellent partner for Enzo Fernández in midfield.
Fernández impressed as this game wore on, offering the kind of classy touches that ought to come naturally to £106.8m midfielders, though he was helped by a wholehearted display from Conor Gallagher. Chelsea, who could also beat Liverpool to Southampton's Roméo Lavia, lacked that commitment last season.
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der August 14, 2023-Ausgabe von The Guardian.
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