Liverpool were comfortably beaten by Newcastle United in the Carabao Cup final, with Arne Slot’s side second best throughout the entire match.

Dan Burn and Alexander Isak secured a historic result for the Toon as Federico Chiesa only managed to get a consolation goal for Liverpool in stoppage time, with the Reds now likely to end the 2024/25 season with just one piece of silverware in the Premier League.

With Slot under fire for his use of Alexis Mac Allister for Newcastle’s opening goal, it was a cup final where everything went wrong for Liverpool, with star attacker Mohamed Salah also enduring a rough performance.

Yet Micah Richards has said Salah’s performance could be down to the absence of one key Liverpool player in the Carabao Cup final.

Micah Richards names the unspoken reason which could be behind Mohamed Salah's struggles against Newcastle	'I am sorry': Frank Leboeuf slams Arne Slot and says he made a 'big mistake' which cost Liverpool yesterday	Micah Richards tells Arne Slot to 'freshen up' Liverpool squad in 3 key positions this summer

READ MORE: Gary Neville says Mohamed Salah did something he’s ‘never seen’ for Liverpool in the Carabao Cup final

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Speaking on the Rest is Football, the former Manchester City defender explained why Trent Alexander-Arnold’s absence had an effect on Salah’s performance, with the winger struggling to find the space that is usually created by the England international.

Richards said: “I would say, from Liverpool’s point of view, they did really miss Trent today, they missed him, especially on a big pitch with his passing ability.

Quansah did really well when he come on against PSG, defensively, he’s a centre-back by trade.

“But I just believe when Trent, and especially under Slot, tactically, you see him even with Conor Bradley, they make them under-lapping runs as well, not just outside, that then frees the space for Salah.

Mohamed Salah vs Newcastle UnitedMinutes played90Shots0Chances created0xG + xA0.10Touches in opposition box1Accurate crosses1/2 (50%)

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“And I think the system didn’t quite get it right, and Salah at times was staying high and Gravenberch was having to come all the way across, which then left them a little bit light in midfield, and they just didn’t have the same flow that they usually have.

“And Trent on a big pitch is a great passer of the ball, whether he’s driving forward, whether he’s getting on the ball in that space, making things happen, I just thought from Liverpool’s point of view, they really missed him.”

With Alexander-Arnold likely to join Real Madrid this summer, the defender’s absence against Newcastle and the subsequent performance from Salah highlighted just how big a problem Liverpool could have next season.

Should Salah also sign a new contract with Liverpool, the Reds will need to find a replacement for Alexander-Arnold who has the capacity to play with the Egyptian international and to play to the winger’s strengths.

And against Newcastle, Liverpool saw first-hand how big a task that will be, with few right-backs in the world capable of what Alexander-Arnold can do, something that could make next season a difficult one for the Reds.


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