Liverpool defeat has been coming

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp celebrates
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp celebrates following his sides victory in the UEFA Champions League Semi Final second leg match between Liverpool and Barcelona at Anfield. Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images.

The defeat ended the Merseysider’s 44-game unbeaten run in the English top-flight.

It is strange to say for a team running away with a title so comfortably, but the result has been coming for a while now.

Liverpool suffered two defeats in three games

By Liverpool’s high standards of form, the Reds have slipped in recent weeks. Jurgen Klopp’s team suffered a 1-0 defeat Atletico Madrid in the Champions League last-16 first leg, before recording a narrow 3-2 win over struggling West Ham at Anfield.

Maybe the Liverpool players are now slightly tired and their relentless displays for much of the season could be the reason.

Grinding out wins

Liverpool have been by far the best team in the Premier League this season by a country mile. However, for much of the season, they have been grinding out results in the English top-flight. In fact, they have been a clinical winning machine.

Six of their last ten victories in all competitions have been won by a one-goal margin. Those games could have easily gone the other way and they may not have emerged with victories. It is not like they have been steamrollering teams all season.

It won’t really matter

It is hard to say that the unbeaten run really matters to Liverpool, as they are on the cusp of winning their first English top-flight title in three decades. To fans that is the most important thing.

The Reds are also still in the race for the Champions League and the FA Cup. They could still realistically do the treble, winning the three most prestigious trophies they could win.

The defeat is unlikely to unsettle Liverpool that much. However, it may just be a reminder that Klopp and his players cannot afford complacency heading into the final stretch of the campaign.

Does it matter to Liverpool that they will not go unbeaten in the Premier League this season?