2023 - 24 Liverpool FC Season Review

Relive all the drama of the 2023 - 24 season with our in-depth season review, as the Reds bid for Glory in the Premier League, Europa League, and cup competitions.

After a disastrous campaign the previous year, Jurgen Klopp was looking to lead Liverpool back to the top during the 2023/24 season.  After a promising start to the transfer window, Liverpool's plans were thrown into chaos, first by the loss of key midfielders - Fabinho and Jordan Henderson (who left for Saudi Arabia) - then by key transfer targets choosing to join Chelsea's money merry-go-round.

As the season began, Liverpool's squad needed reinforcements, and the planned opening of the new Anfield Road Stand was on hold (due to the main building contractor going bust).  Could Klopp and his players rise above these challenges and deliver more silverware for the Anfield Trophy Cabinet?

Pre-Season

Liverpool's pre-season saw them travel to Germany, where the squad underwent 2 weeks of fitness training and conditioning.  The Reds played two friendlies, one behind closed doors.  Klopp used both games to rotate his players, giving everyone in the 32-man squad a chance to impress.  Liverpool won one game and drew the second.  From Germany, Liverpool flew on to Singapore, where they played a further two games, both in the Singapore National Stadium.  Liverpool has a strong following in Asia, and this was a chance for people who can't normally travel to Anfield to see their heroes in person.  Both games proved very entertaining, with Liverpool thrashing Leicester City 4-0, before sharing 7 goals with Bayern Munich, narrowly losing 4-3.  From Singapore, the squad traveled back to Liverpool and the AXA Training Ground, where Klopp and his team oversaw the final weeks of training before the Premier League opener against Chelsea.  Liverpool played one final friendly, against SV Darmstadt 98, at Preston's Deepdale Stadium.  Normally, Liverpool would host at least one friendly at Anfield, but due to ongoing works to the Anfield Road Stand, the Reds once again played away from home.

Summer Transfer Window

Players In

• Alexis Mac Allister - £35million - From Brighton & Hove Albion
• Dominik Szoboszlai - £62million - From RB Leipzig
• Wataru Endo - £16million - From Stuttgart
• Ryan Gravenberch - £34.3million - From Bayern Munich

Players Out

• Jordan Henderson  - £12million - To Al-Ettifaq
• Fabinho - £40.2million - To Al-Ittihad
• Roberto Firmino - Free Transfer
• Naby Keita - Free Transfer
• James Milner - Free Transfer

After an underwhelming campaign the previous year, in which Liverpool's midfield and defence had been out-run and out-fought, the squad desperately needed fresh legs and energy.  Several young midfielders topped the wish list, and the Liverpool recruitment team duly delivered, with the signing of World Cup Winner Alexis Mac Allister from Brighton, right at the start of the window.  Things got even better a week later when Dominik Szoboszlai was signed from RB Leipzig.  However, after a promising start, Liverpool's transfer window soon stalled.  First, stalwarts Jordan Henderson and Fabinho left for clubs in Saudi Arabia, before Chelsea used their magic money tree to outbid Liverpool for 2 key players - Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia.  Indeed, it was not until near the end of the window that Liverpool made any further signings, with Japanese international Wataru Endo, and Dutch international Ryan Gravenberch, arriving to complete the midfield overhaul.  More drama was to unfold in the final days of the transfer window, as Saudi Arabian side Al-Ittihad tried to sign Mo Salah for a record £150million fee.  Thankfully Liverpool resisted and Salah remained a Liverpool player.

Premier League Results

Liverpool began their Premier League campaign with a 1-1 draw away at Chelsea before a run of 5 victories lifted the team to second in the league table.  In late September Liverpool faced Tottenham, in a game that will be remembered for all the wrong reasons.  Firstly Luis Diaz had a perfectly good goal ruled out for offside, and then Liverpool had 2 players sent off and a further 6 booked,  as they lost the game 2-1 in the last minute.  After the game, the PGMOL admitted the goal should have been given, and that 'Serious Human Error' had occurred with the VAR officials.   The incident caused much debate about VAR, with Liverpool issuing a strongly worded statement demanding a full and proper investigation and changes to the system.

Following the Tottenham game, Liverpool drew against Brighton, before securing a 2 - 0 victory in the Merseyside derby.  With confidence restored, Liverpool went on a 14-game unbeaten run, winning 10 and drawing 4, as the Reds moved top of the table during the winter months.  During that period, injuries were a constant problem for Jurgen Klopp, with ten first-team players unavailable for most of that period.  In their absence, Klopp promoted many youngsters from the Academy, with Conor Bradley, Jarell Quansah, Bobby Clark, James McConnel, and Jayden Danns all making their Premier League debuts.

The Red's unbeaten run ended against Arsenal at the start of February.

Europa League Results

Liverpool were drawn in Group E of the 2023-24 Europa League, alongside LASK, Toulouse and Union Saint-Gilloise.  Group games commenced on 21st September 2023.

Liverpool got their Europa League campaign off to a good start with a 3-1 victory over LASK, before taking control of the group with victories over Union SG and Toulouse.  The Reds suffered a rare defeat against Toulouse in game four but ensured they would qualify for the knock-out stages with a 4 - 0 victory over Lask in match five.  The group stages ended with another defeat against Union SG, but with Toulouse failing to win at LASK, the Reds progressed as group winners.

By winning their group, Liverpool progressed to the Round of 16 (and avoided the dreaded play-off round), where they comfortably beat Sparta Prague, 11 - 2 on aggregate.  The second-leg match at Anfield saw Liverpool score four goals in the opening 13 minutes, as the gulf in class between the two sides was brutally exposed by the Reds.  Next up, Liverpool face Atalanta in the Quarter-Finals.

FA Cup Results

Liverpool began their FA Cup journey with a difficult away trip to the Emirates, to face Arsenal.  Despite missing several key players - including Mo Salah - the Reds produced a fine second-half display to secure a 2 - 0 victory.  Two home games followed in the 4th and 5th rounds, as Liverpool eased past Championship sides Norwich City and Southampton.  The 5th round tie with Southampton will be remembered for many years, as Klopp fielded a Starting XI with five teenagers in it, as the Reds struggled with an injury crisis that saw 10 first-team players unavailable.  The Quarter-Final draw saw Liverpool handed another difficult away tie, this time against arch-rivals Manchester United.  Despite taking the lead on two separate occasions, Liverpool failed to see out the game, eventually losing 4 - 3 in the final minutes of extra-time.  The result ended Liverpool's hopes of a Quadruple and meant Jurgen Klopp's final FA Cup match ended in defeat.

Carabao Cup Results

Liverpool began their Carabao Cup campaign with a home tie against Leicester City.  In keeping with their early season form, the Reds went behind early in the game, only to fight their way back and eventually win 3-1.  In the Round of 16, the Reds were drawn against Bournemouth away.  It proved to be a tricky tie - not least because of the awful weather conditions - but a Darwin Nunez wonder goal helped Liverpool seal a 2 - 1 victory.  Next up, the Reds faced West Ham, in what looked to be another difficult tie, but Liverpool made light work of the Hammers, recording a 5 - 1 victory to progress to the Semi-Finals, where they would face Fulham.  The first leg of the Semi-Finals was played at Anfield.  With Liverpool in the middle of an injury crisis, Klopp was forced to field a weakened team, and Fulham looked on course to cause an upset, when they took a first-half lead through veteran attacker Willian.  However, Liverpool are nothing if not resilient, and duly turned the game around in 3 second-half minutes, as Curtis Jones and Cody Gakpo scored in quick succession, to give the Reds a slender lead heading into the second leg.  It was a lead the Reds would not surrender, as Luis Diaz scored early, to settle Liverpool's nerves, and ensure the Reds would be returning to Wembley for another Final.

As the Final approached, Liverpool's injury crisis had only worsened, with key players such as Salah, Nunez, Jones, Jota, Alisson, and Alexander-Arnold all sidelined.   Despite naming seven teenagers in the squad - six of whom featured in the Final - Klopp produced a managerial masterclass, securing a 1 - 0 extra-time victory over Chelsea. The match will be talked about for many years to come, with 'Klopp's Kids' being hailed for their confidence and determination, while for Chelsea, the defeat cast more doubts on the long-term strategy of the club's owners, who had spent over £1billion on players but would end the season trophyless and languishing in mid-table.