Liverpool welcome Leeds to Anfield in a frame of two minds.
A positive is that the reds secured Champions League knockout football in 2023 after the midweek win away at Ajax, but clear disappointment at their Premier League form to date.
Last week saw a hugely negative defeat at bottom placed Nottingham Forest. Leeds United are also in the relegation zone and without a win in their last 8 games.
The reds can welcome back a couple of players missing over the last 7 days and there can be no room for error in this strange Saturday night-time game.
Here's how the game unfolded.
As it happened...
We can't afford to let the gap get too big. Newcastle are currently 4th, 8 points in front of the reds but have played two games more.
The reds can move up to 7th with a win today.
Jurgen Klopp indicated that both Thiago and Konate are in contention for a place in the side. Jordan Henderson's knee bang in midweek was 'sore but not serious'.
He may not have broken into the first team yet but Calvin Ramsay was in action for Liverpool U21's today away at West Ham United. And scored in a 3-0 win.
Goals from Jake Cain, Melkamu Frauendorf and Calvin Ramsay gave the young Reds the three points in the Premier League 2 encounter at Rush Green Training Ground.
Here's the reds team to face Leeds. One change from midweek - Thiago in for Henderson.
Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Gomez, Van Dijk, Robertson; Fabinho, Elliott, Thiago; Firmino, Salah, Nunez
Subs: Kelleher, Konate, Phillips, Tsimikas, Milner, Henderson, Jones, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Carvalho
Meslier, Koch, Cooper, Struijk, Kristensen, Aaronson, Roja, Summerville, Harrison, Adams, Rodrigo
Subs: Ayling, Robles, Llorente, Firpo, Bamford, Klich, Gelhardt, Gnotno, Greenwood
We are underway at Anfield.
1' Wow. Salah has a chance cleared off the line in the opening minute.
Wow.
4' Defensive error from the reds. Rodrigo capitalises on a horrid error. Joe Gomez plays a ball to Alisson, who then slips, and Rodrigo taps in.
14' Good chance, with some decent build up for Liverpool, Firmino gets the shot away and Meslier saves.
Pats on the back for the Leeds keeper.
14' Mo Salah gets the equaliser. Liverpool responded well to that shock Leeds opener.
Robertson's cross and Salah dispatches it.
16' Trent and Darwin Nunez deadly around the area and it's an important interception from Leeds.
It's a lively one.
20' Well hit shot from Aaronson who collects the cross and smacks it at the goal. It rebounds off the crossbar.
21' Alisson called into action to deny Jack Harrisson. This is end to end. Leeds getting far too many chances for my liking.
31' Nunez headed pass sends Salah away but it's a big tackle from Kristensen.
32' And another chance for the reds, Trent unleashes Nunez and the Leeds keeper slides in feet first to tackle. Could Nunez have lifted it over him? Maybe he wasn't expecting that tackle.
39' Salah curler - Meslier stops it. Klopp remonstrating with Fabinho just prior to that attack. He's not happy with something.
HT: Liverpool 1-1 Leeds
Another horror start from Liverpool. A sloppy backpass from Gomez, an Alisson slip and Rodrigo punished them.
But Salah hit back within ten minutes.
But this is far too open a game - plenty of chances for both sides for further goals. Can Liverpool get the win here? They are going to need to tighten up at the back.
Rodrigo opener
A ???????????????????????????????????????? mistake from Joe Gomez! ????????
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) October 29, 2022
Rodrigo ???????????????????????????? and Leeds lead at Anfield! ⚪⚡ pic.twitter.com/aTGSr505PZ
Salah equaliser
Who else but Mo Salah?! ????????????
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) October 29, 2022
Liverpool's star man loves scoring against Leeds! ???? pic.twitter.com/7s9T7HTVnv
We're back underway. Liverpool kicking towards the Kop. Hope that helps.
1-1
51' Bamford replaces Rodrigo.
54' Thiago with a half-hearted back pass to nobody in particular.
Fortunate that there were no Leeds attackers nearby.
Slow start to this second half from the reds.
58' Decent ball from Thiago but Salah holds on to that too long and his shot goes miles wide and miles high.
A double midfield change coming here. Jones and Henderson being readied.
60' Fabinho and Elliott head off. Henderson and Jones on to replace them. Thiago probably staying on by the skin of his teeth (and perhaps lack of more midfield options).
66' After a period of minutes with Leeds camped in Liverpool's half the reds break free. Salah capitalises on a Liam Cooper stumble, feeds Nunez who hits it straight at Meslier.
72' Gnonto replaces Jack Harrison. He's making his debut.
Salah went close with a chance there after some good work from Curtis Jones.
75' Salah with an outside boot chip, Nunez and Firmino are at the back post but his ball goes straight out of play.
78' Trent replaced by Milner.
No surprise. Trent was stood statue-like in front of Klopp a moment ago during a Liverpool attack.
79' Meslier dives to the top corner to stop a Nunez curler.
87' Final minutes and it doesn't look like anyone else is going to get past Meslier. He's stopping everything coming his way.
89' Summerville scores for Leeds. Gnonto beats Milner and Jones out on the wing to get the cross in.
Summerville then able to poke it past Alisson.
Garbage.
FT: Liverpool 1-2 Leeds
Back to back league defeats for Liverpool. Both against teams in the relegation zone.
And that defeat signals the end of Virgil van Dijk's undefeated Premier League record at Anfield.
Absolute shambles.
The reds may have qualified for the last 16 of the Champions League but they lie 9th in the Premier League and the title dream is over.
Liverpool's player turned up for the Man City game but they have been posting in some low effort performance for too long now.
Starting to look a sizeable task to get back into the top four.
Klopp:
'Our goal didn't give us the security we need. The boys tried. We had a lot of possession and some good chances.
'The problem is that at the moment we can't control the game.
'Maybe some players are a little bit overplayed. Up front now they play all the time - we have three strikers left.
'Ultimately though if we don't finish off our chances then we have to fight.
'You can't defend like we did for the second goal.
A sorry home defeat, unfortunately.
It almost felt like Halloween came two days early.
Liverpool take on Napoli on Tuesday in what is a relatively minor event now. Both teams have qualified and Liverpool probably do not have the current capabilities to score 3, or possibly even five more goals than the Italian side to leapfrog them in the Group A table.
Let's hope for better in next weekend's Premier League adventure. Spurs away on Sunday. Phew.
