The Carabao Cup had been lifted by Bruno Guimaraes and Kieran Trippier, Eddie Howe drenched in alcohol by Joelinton and the black-and-white hordes were starting to disperse when a manager reflected on a historic first. Not the victorious one, though. “It took us seven, eight, nine months to lose twice in a row,” said Arne Slot. It is perhaps not a statistic to echo through the ages like Newcastle’s 70-year wait for domestic silverware or the 56-year gap between claiming any major honour.
It was nevertheless a way of illustrating Liverpool’s consistency this season. Slot’s pragmatic explanation underlined why trebles are rarities; within a week, Liverpool’s disappeared, replaced by a solitary pursuit of the Premier League. “You know if you go further into tournaments that the opposition get stronger and stronger and even Liverpool can lose games,” he added. It was notable he referred to Paris Saint-Germain, their first conquerors this week, as the best team in Europe.
