Two players are emerging as Liverpool’s undroppables, with Arne Slot having a definite transfer priority.

Ian Doyle provided analysis following Liverpool’s Premier League match against Aston Villa on Monday.

After fifteen minutes of regular time elapsed, it became evident that this was not the most crucial match of Liverpool’s season. However, of the four replacements made by Jurgen Klopp in one go, Wataru Endo’s exit was the one that finally cost the visitors a well-deserved win.

Even if Endo hadn’t had the best of starts, he played a crucial role in Liverpool taking control of the game and offering more protection to a defence that had been increasingly exposed in the first half.

But with the Japanese out of the picture, Alexis Mac Allister—who already came off as jaded and subpar—was forced to put an end to Villa’s late push, with unavoidable consequences. The Argentine was penalised for a poor pass that led to the opening goal for the home team and lost the ball for Villa’s second goal, which changed the game’s momentum.

However, Mac Allister isn’t a defensive midfielder by trade, even if he performed excellently for the majority of the first half of the season. Not all games can be played by Endo. Furthermore, with Stefan Bajcetic—an underutilised substitute in this instance—still in the early stages of his promising career, new manager Arne Slot will be aware of precisely where his team needs to be enhanced right away.

Despite all the hype this season about wasted opportunities, Liverpool has only scored one goal fewer than their whole 2019–20 title campaign with one game still to play. However, in all competitions, there has only been one clean sheet in fifteen attempts.

The Reds must return to their foundation in order to make the necessary progress towards contending for the championship, beginning with the appointment of a new, legitimate number six.

Seasonal regret haunts the duo

Both Harvey Elliott and Cody Gakpo would definitely prefer if the season was just getting started, but Alexis Mac Allister, who is clearly tired, would likely be among those relieved that it is almost over.

The two had been among the Reds’ top players over the last six weeks, along with Andy Robertson, who was out due to a minor injury.

And they all had a significant influence on this game. Elliott’s goal contributions have significantly improved since the start of the year, and he has continued in that vein. Emiliano Martinez of Villa mishandled his cross within ninety seconds, but Elliott’s accurate dead-ball pass allowed Jarell Quansah to score his first Premier League goal ever.

Intermittently, Gakpo reached 16 goals for the year by finishing a cross from Joe Gomez, the adaptable defender who once again did a commendable job filling in for Robertson at left back.

However, Gakpo’s dash to the finish line and Elliott’s spectacular finish will undoubtedly give Slot a lot to think about. They’re demonstrating that they belong in the upcoming Liverpool age.

Villa Park the ideal location

The conclusion of Jurgen Klopp’s trip abroad at Villa Park was entirely fitting. After all, Liverpool has made some of its most iconic, puzzling, and downright frustrating road trips in the last ten years at the stadium.

The most notable of them was the thrilling victory in November 2019 that put the Reds on their path to their first championship in thirty years thanks to goals from Sadio Mane and Robertson in the dying seconds to earn a 2-1 victory.

On the opposite end of the scale, less than a year later, there was the hilarious yet expensive 7-2 beating behind closed doors. In addition, there was the League Cup quarterfinal match in December 2019 that Liverpool was forced to play without their senior team, and the FA Cup third round match against Villa the following season saw Villa play without their first-choice players due to the coronavirus.

Even though third place was assured when title contenders Manchester City and Arsenal triumphed over the weekend, there was nothing at stake for the visitors, but this match will go down in history anyway.

All that remains is Anfield on Sunday. People, get your tissues ready—this is going to be emotional.