Dominik Szoboszlai has delivered one of the most damning post-match assessments of the Premier League season, warning his Liverpool teammates to “wake up” or risk having to settle for Conference League football next season, a prospect that would have been unthinkable just months ago for the reigning league champions.
Liverpool were held to a 1-1 draw by Tottenham Hotspur at Anfield in a match that once again exposed their alarming late-game vulnerabilities. Szoboszlai had put the home side ahead with a superb direct free-kick in the first half, a moment that appeared to put the reigning champions in control. However, Richarlison struck in the 90th minute to rescue a point for Tottenham — the eighth time in the Premier League this season that Liverpool had conceded after the 90th minute.
The Hungarian midfielder did not hide his frustration afterwards. “I don’t know what happened, I have nothing to say. Again in the last minute — I don’t know how many times this season already. We have to wake up. If we keep going like this, next season we should be happy if we play Conference League,” he told Sky Sports.
Liverpool have now dropped seven points from winning positions at Anfield this season, their most since 2016-17. The draw leaves the reigning champions sitting fifth in the table — two points behind Aston Villa in fourth and just one point above Chelsea in sixth, with only eight games remaining in the campaign.
The result was made all the more painful by what was happening elsewhere. The Reds once again failed to capitalise on their rivals dropping points, with both Chelsea and Aston Villa having lost earlier in the weekend. Tottenham, managed by Igor Tudor and missing 12 senior players, arrived on a four-game losing run but still managed to earn their first point under the Croatian coach.
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Outside voices were equally withering. Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher had said on Sky Sports before Richarlison’s equaliser that Liverpool were “sleepwalking” towards more dropped points. Former Manchester United captain Roy Keane warned there are “big problems” at Liverpool and that “something is missing” in last season’s champions.
Szoboszlai himself was the lone bright spot on the night. The Hungarian’s free-kick was his fourth direct free-kick goal of the season — the most by any Liverpool player in a single Premier League campaign, with only David Beckham in 2000-01 and Laurent Robert in 2001-02 scoring more, with five each.
Despite the boos that rang around Anfield at full-time, Szoboszlai pleaded for unity between the squad and supporters. “I didn’t hear the boos, but we can understand them. We are not performing how we should. They should stand behind us because last season we became champions four games before the end — everybody was happy. Support us in a difficult time. There is still time to show how much we want it. We have to stick together and fight for the club.”
Liverpool face an immediate chance at redemption, hosting Galatasaray at Anfield on Wednesday in the second leg of their Champions League round of 16 tie — needing to overturn a 1-0 first-leg deficit to stay alive in Europe’s premier club competition.