What Comes Next for Liverpool After Carabao Cup Defeat?

Sunday’s Carabao Cup Final defeat against Newcastle United was a disappointing moment for Liverpool, as the Reds were widely expected to beat the Magpies. Instead, they suffered a 2-1 loss. It is Newcastle’s first domestic trophy in 70 years, and its fans created a wall of noise in one half of Wembley Stadium all game to help see their team over the line. For Liverpool, it is the second cup competition it has been eliminated from this week, after losing to Paris Saint-Germain on penalties in the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 just a few days prior.

Now the question remains: what comes next for the Reds? Their immediate attention shifts to the Premier League, where they sit atop the table 12 points clear of second-place Arsenal. It was also perhaps unfair to expect the Reds to win ‘the quadruple’ this season considering most pundits had predicted them to finish outside the top 4 in what was billed as a transition season between Jurgen Klopp and new manager Arne Slot. It largely remains Klopp’s squad, too, as the only players signed under Slot were Federico Chiesa and Giorgio Mamardashvili — with the latter not officially joining until the summer of 2025.

In Slot’s own words, each of the nine remaining Premier League games this season has become a ‘cup final.’ Despite a 3-1 win over Southampton sandwiched between its despondent PSG performances, Liverpool is in pole position to claim its first league title since 2019/20 — but the club has been less than convincing in recent weeks. Mathematically, Liverpool needs five wins and one draw in nine games to guarantee the Premier League, and it seems unlikely Arsenal will win every remaining Premier League game themselves. This is compounded by the fact that Arsenal is still in the Champions League, and will likely prioritize that competition given there’s a higher likelihood of winning it. Star Arsenal winger Bukayo Saka is expected to return soon to relieve their offensive injury crisis.

Liverpool’s loss also highlighted a distinct lack of finishers. Outside of Mohamed Salah who is having a career year, Luis Diaz, Diogo Jota, and Darwin Nunez have not stepped up to support the Egyptian in offense. Diaz has 17 goal contributions this season (goals + assists). Jota has 11, and Darwin has 12. Salah, meanwhile, has 44.

This will have to be a major summer transformation for Liverpool. Salah, Virgil van Dijk, and Trent Alexander-Arnold all have contracts running out. Diaz, Jota, and Darwin are widely expected to exit. Left-back Andrew Robertson seems a shell of his former self, and there always seems to be a center back or two out injured at any given time. Their lack of spending in recent years will now have to be offset by major spending this summer, and the Liverpool of today will likely look very different six months from now. Rumors suggest Newcastle striker Alexander Isak and Bournemouth left-back Milos Kerkez are two names that could be signed, but they will also need a midfielder, center-back, a right-back if Trent doesn’t extend, and another forward or two.

It has been a remarkable season for Liverpool regardless. Being on the precipice of winning a league title in today’s competitive Premier League environment is an accomplishment that cannot be overlooked — mostly thanks to Salah having an individual season that Ronaldo or Messi would be proud of.

The Klopp era may technically be over, but it is still his team. This summer, Slot will have an opportunity to show his true managerial style by building a team that he can truly call his own. And, if his first season is anything to go by, we can expect Liverpool to be serious contenders moving forward.