Liverpool were a day late and a dollar short against Manchester United in the FA Cup, failing to make their pressure count and succumbing to late pressure from the hosts. The (unlikely) bid for a quadruple is no more.
The five-on-two situation at Old Trafford typified the shift and reshaping in Jurgen Klopp's system over the past few years.
Years back, when Mohamed Salah was partnered with Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino, the synergy and lightning coursing through the Reds' every forward surge struck fear into opponents. Seeing these breakaway players heading toward goal was terrifying, like watching an inexorably rushing avalanche from the foot of a mountain.
The latter two are both gone, earning a pretty penny in the Saudi Pro League. Salah still remains; he scored against Manchester United, but his forward teammates lacked the incisiveness needed to make the pressure pay.
Despite being introduced in the second half, Cody Gakpo flattered to deceive once again and there is a sense that the Netherlands international will need to pick up form soon and prove his worth with so many cogs changing in the Liverpool mechanism.
Cody Gakpo's performance vs Manchester United
Gakpo arrived at Liverpool from PSV Eindhoven for £35m in January 2023 off the back of a World Cup campaign in Qatar that announced his presence to the world, but he is still leaving much to be desired.
This season, in all competitions, Gakpo boasts a healthy return of 13 goals and five assists from 25 starting appearances, but he has also struggled for fluency and influence on the pitch as his versatility hampers his chances of cementing a spot in Klopp's strongest XI.
Indeed, the 24-year-old has played across a myriad of positions this season – including seven games in central midfield – and this has left him as bit of a jack of all trades, but master of none.
Against Manchester United, he entered the field of play after 77 minutes, replacing Salah, and across his 43 minutes of action struggled to make his mark, notably messing up a break at 2-1 that would have given the visitors a two-goal advantage in the late stage of normal time, had his languid pass been smoother, quicker, more precise.
As per Sofascore, he made one key pass across his 43 minutes of action, though took just 24 touches and had one blocked shot. The Independent's Jamie Braidwood branded him with a 3/10 match rating, with Liverpool regressing in sharpness after he took Salah's spot.
So: Liverpool's scapegoat or Klopp's spare part? It's really quite hard to define at the moment. On one hand, Gakpo offers a steady goal threat and is a talented forward with his best years probably ahead of him.
On the other, he's comfortably Liverpool's least effective and least important forward when all are fit, and with Klopp leaving and Michael Edwards returning, there are no guarantees that he will have a place in Liverpool's long-term future.
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Darwin Nunez, however, will be expected to play a central role in Liverpool's exploits over the coming years, but he failed to impress at the Theatre of Dreams and should be held accountable over his Dutch peer given he started.
Why Darwin Nunez let Klopp down vs Manchester United
Nunez has largely been brilliant this term, scoring, assisting and dazzling with his penetrative bursts. Want a forward who brings dynamism, energy and electricity across the ambit of the forward role? Look no further. Want a forward with a machine-like prolificness? Perhaps look a bit further toward Manchester.
As per FBref, the £140k-per-week star ranks among the top 13% of forwards across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for goals, the top 5% for assists, the top 11% for shot-creating actions, the top 13% for progressive carries and the top 9% for tackles per 90 – he's a deadly threat, but didn't offer the full scope of this skill set on Sunday.
Still, the Uruguay talisman is sensational and his assist for Alexis Mac Allister's first-half goal takes his tally to 17 goals and 13 assists in 2023/24; last year, Nunez scored 15 goals and supplied five assists from the same number of fixtures (42).
He's more polished and more effective, but against the Red Devils it was his wayward ball that sparked the build-up to Marcus Rashford's equaliser in added time, and it was his overall lack of sharpness in his ball-playing that contributed toward a lack of control that proved detrimental.
Minutes played
120'
Goals
0
Assists
1
Touches
44
Shots
6
Accurate passes
13/25 (52%)
Key passes
3
Possession lost
18x
Ground duels won
2/9
Dribble attempts
1/3
Braidwood gave the 24-year-old a 5/10 match rating, and while he huffed and puffed and fought to make things happen, this is probably a fair assessment after a game that could have been contested better on his part.
It's really not all doom and gloom though; Liverpool's chances of winning every trophy on offer was always slight and with the Carabao Cup in the bag, the Reds can focus on leapfrogging table-toppers Arsenal in the Premier League title race – of whom Liverpool are level with on points; Arsenal also travel to the Etihad Stadium to face Manchester City next in the league.
Moreover, Liverpool are into the Europa League quarter-finals and have been pitted against Serie A side Atalanta – which is not an easy tie by any stretch but is one that the Reds are more than capable of prevailing in.
And if that's not enough, it's only a few weeks until Klopp's team return to Old Trafford to face their historic rivals once more. It's a Premier League clash that could shape the final stretch of the campaign. It's a chance for a reprisal and one last say on Klopp's part.
