23 hours ago
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ANFIELD, LIVERPOOL // Arne Slot named a much-changed starting XI and subs bench for his side's clash with Crystal Palace in the League Cup and Liverpool crashed out with Ismaila Sarr's incredible run of form against the Reds continuing.
Sarr had netted two goals before half-time at Anfield, taking his tally to seven in nine appearances for both of his English clubs, Watford and Crystal Palace. From there, Oliver Glasner's men were the only likely winners.
Alexis Mac Allister got some useful minutes under his belt and Calvin Ramsay showed some decent signs, but Slot's men were knocked out. Here are the five things Liverpool.com spotted as the game unfolded.
Federico Chiesa a lone wolf
For many fans, Federico Chiesa has been treated harshly by Arne Slot during his Liverpool career to date. The Italian has barely had a kick since arriving from Juventus in the summer of 2024.
Given scraps rather than sustained opportunities, Chiesa might argue that this match was a continuation of those bits and pieces he has been thrown throughout his time at Anfield: a lot was being asked of him.
Chiesa was doing a lot of running, but the attacks that Liverpool mustered tended to be one-man efforts, whether that was the 27-year-old, Rio Ngumoha, or someone else. He was isolated and didn't have much in the way of chances to show what he can do.
He couldn't do any more than he did. He was trying, but to no avail.
Young stars struggle to make an impact
Starring in the UEFA Youth League for Liverpool last midweek, Kieran Morrison was given a chance to play at senior level for the first time here. In the game, however, he didn't make much of a mark.
Morrison was unable to get the better of the Crystal Palace left wing back, Borna Sosa, and he was pushed off the ball a few times when he got into some promising positions.
Ngumoha and Trey Nyoni are more familiar names for Liverpool fans, but will have relished the chance to play. Neither stood out, though. Ngumoha started well, but he was unable to force his magical dribbling to result in a goal.
Milos Kerkez chance missed
Milos Kerkez has struggled at times in the early part of his Liverpool career, but there is a player there. The Hungarian, after all, cost $54 million (£40 million) for a reason.
Against Crystal Palace, there was a chance for him to really lay down a marker, but he didn't take it at all.
At Bournemouth, Kerkez was all action and kown for driving forward with purpose. Given more licence to attack here as a wing-back, it didn't end up being a night where he made that much of an impact.
The left-back selection against Aston Villa on Saturday will be an interesting one. Robertson going off and Kerkez staying on until the end suggests he might have won that race.
Formation switch
Something had to change for Liverpool after a run of poor results, and it was Wataru Endo who dropped in to play on the right of a back three here, leaving Trey Nyoni and Alexis Mac Allister as a midfield double pivot.
Giving some extra defensive security and matching up with the system that Oliver Glasner uses, it perhaps shouldn't have been a huge surprise. The question now is whether it will be used again.
Can Liverpool afford to move to that way of playing full-time? With only three senior center-backs, it seems unlikely. Slot would also have to sacrifice one of his usual midfielders with both Dominik Szoboszlai and Curtis Jones, when fit, playing well.
For a short time here, it worked. Then Sarr put the afterburners on, and it all fell apart pretty quickly.
Changes fail to pay off
"Tonight's fixture gives us an opportunity to take a step forward, not just in this competition but also in our season as a whole," Slot wrote in the official matchday program.
The team that he selected hinted that this competition was not a major priority for the Reds, though — the bench, for instance, was completely lacking senior experience — so the result shouldn't have been a complete surprise.
Liverpool losing 3-0 at home is never a good look. Doing so in this manner and in the middle of a dire run won't help.
Considering the fact that Liverpool hasn't been in good form lately and perhaps could have gone a long way in this competition, it was a risk to play a team that was quite so heavily rotated, even if there are six senior options currently sidelined with injuries.
It didn't pay off but the true test will be the end result on Saturday against Aston Villa. A win, as it has been for a while now, is a must.
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