Jurgen Klopp pointed to Liverpool's hectic schedule over the past 12 months as a reason for his side's struggles this season.
Liverpool played 63 games in the 2021-22 season as they made deep runs in the Champions League, EFL Cup and the FA Cup, and have since struggled with a number of injuries.
Currently sitting seventh on the Premier League table with eight wins from 17 fixtures, the Reds are seven points adrift of the top-four, and are in danger of missing out on Champions League qualification for the first time since finishing eighth in the 2015-16 season.
Speaking to the media on Friday, Klopp said a lot of Liverpool's problems can be attributed to "bad luck".
"Could anybody know how the last season of 63 games could influence this season?" he said. "I don’t think anybody could know. It must have – we can say that now.
"We had holiday, not too much, there were games here and the boys all looked fine. Then it started with Diogo [Jota] coming back from international duty and getting injured and then bam, bam, bam.
"Luis [Diaz] twice, Darwin [Nunez] suspended and now injured. Earlier in the season midfielders were not available so we brought in Arthur [Melo] who then got injured. There is a lot of bad luck."
He added: "We were in a super-positive mood, we could have won everything and then all of a sudden we don’t win everything. Just because we are Liverpool doesn’t mean we are not allowed to have problems.
"When you are Liverpool and the distance to the Champions League gets bigger then it feels like you are bottom of the table – but thank God we are not. There are a lot of games to come and players to come back."
Liverpool will look to begin their march back up the table on Saturday away from home against Brighton and Hove Albion.
Real Salt Lake v Seattle Sounders: Schmetzer enjoying playoff pressure
Seattle Sounders visit Western Conference leaders Real Salt Lake in midweek and Brian Schmetzer is enjoying the challenges of chasing an MLS playoff spot.
The visiting Sounders have two wins and a draw in their last three outings after defeating Portland Timbers 2-1 on the road.
Seattle sit 10th in the West, just three points shy of St. Louis City above them, and Schmetzer knows the pressure is there to chase a postseason position.
"We're three points from the playoff line, that pressure is still there," said Schmetzer.
"We're still too far down the standings for our liking. But you go to Philly and get points, you come here [to Portland] and get points.
"You have 120 minutes of kids gritting it out [in the U.S. Open Cup]. I can sense that the group is finding its form."
Sounders midfielder Cristian Roldan added: "We feel we definitely have a good enough team to compete for trophies this year."
The hosts are unbeaten in their last eight league matches, sitting top of the West standings by two points heading into this midweek clash.
Pablo Mastroeni's side were held to a 2-2 draw with LA Galaxy in their last outing, with this now the chance to respond on home turf.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Real Salt Lake – Cristian Arango
Cristian Arango scored both of Real Salt Lake’s goals on Saturday to take his total to 11 for the season.
Only five players have scored more than 11 goals in a season for RSL, including just one, Damir Kreilach (twice), since 2015.
Seattle Sounders – Raul Ruidiaz
Raul Ruidiaz scored the winning goal for Seattle against Portland on Sunday, his seventh goal of the season, and the fifth different game he's scored in.
The Sounders have collected 10 points (W3 D1 L1) in the five games in which Ruidiaz has scored compared to three points (W0 D3 L4) in the seven he hasn't.
MATCH PREDICTION – REAL SALT LAKE WIN
Salt Lake are unbeaten in 13 straight regular-season home matches against Seattle (W10 D3) with the Sounders' only ever league win at RSL coming in 2011.
RSL has had just one longer home unbeaten run against a single opponent, going 18 in a row at home against the Colorado Rapids without losing from 2007—19, making them the favourites for this clash.
Yet Seattle have won consecutive away matches for the first time since March-April last season.
The Sounders scored five times in those matches after scoring just four in their first five on the road this season, suggesting goals are on the cards here.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Real Salt Lake win – 40.3%
Seattle Sounders win – 30.1%
Draw – 29.6%
Kroos for the Ballon d'Or? Why not, says Ancelotti
Carlo Ancelotti has backed Toni Kroos for this year's Ballon d'Or if Real Madrid and Germany win the Champions League and Euro 2024 respectively.
With another LaLiga title under their belts, Madrid are into the Champions League final after they overcame Kroos' former club Bayern Munich in the last four.
Borussia Dortmund stand in Los Blancos' way of a record-extending 15th European crown.
And Kroos, who has come out of international retirement in order to boost Germany's Euro 2024 chances, has played a key role in Madrid's success this term.
In fact, he has been so good, that Ancelotti cannot see why the Ballon d'Or would not be a possibility.
"The Ballon d'Or for Kroos? Well, anything can happen," Ancelotti told reporters after Madrid hammered Alaves 5-0 on Tuesday.
"If he wins the Champions League and the Euro. I think he can do a double. Germany can win with Kroos."
Kroos has played 46 times in all competitions for Madrid this season, with only Joselu, Rodrygo and Federico Valverde making more appearances.
The 34-year-old leads Madrid's squad for chances created (85), while he is second for assists (nine) and expected assists (7.6).
He has attempted 3,257 passes, over 500 more than any of his club-mates, completing 3,083 of them (94.6 per cent).
However, his immediate future is not yet certain, though Ancelotti is not concerned.
"At the moment, we are not worried about what he is going to do, neither am I, nor the club, nor Toni," the Italian added.
"Until June 1, this is a secondary issue. We are now thinking about winning the Champions League."
Madrid now want to make the most of their remaining LaLiga games as they prepare for their showdown with BVB.
"These games are important to maintain the rhythm, the good dynamics, the motivation and the good play. There are two weeks left. Now we'll rest for a few days and next week we'll do some physical work. In the second week we will do tactical work," Ancelotti said.
"For me as a coach, it's the best season. The team has been fantastic, we deservedly won LaLiga. We're on a cloud, but we have to keep going because we haven't played the most important game yet.
"This team has a lot of talent. Very young people with a lot of quality. It has the opportunity to mark an era in the future, given the value of the youngsters we have."
Portland Timbers v San Jose Earthquakes: 'No time for sulking' – Neville calls on struggling hosts to respond
Phil Neville warned Portland Timbers have "no time for sulking" as the head coach offered an eye-opening appraisal of his side's struggles ahead of their MLS meeting with San Jose Earthquakes.
The Timbers are winless in a club-record nine straight matches after their 2-1 defeat to Seattle Sounders on Saturday.
Portland sit bottom of the Western Conference table and former Inter Miami boss Neville acknowledged the Timbers must improve – and rapidly.
"Massively disappointed, the result in these games is the most important thing," Neville said, looking back at the Seattle loss.
"I have to take full responsibility for this run, in life you get difficult moments and we have to really work hard; make sacrifices – that is the message for the players.
"There's no time for sulking, any criticism that comes our way has to be aimed at me. I select the team, the system, the tactics over the last nine games.
"We've got to be better, but I am absolutely convinced we are going to get this right.
"We've got to go out fighting, the results have to change very quickly. I am under no illusions about that."
The Quakes are just a position above the Timbers but overcame Colorado Rapids 3-2 in their last outing, suggesting to coach Luchi Gonzalez that his side are starting to click into gear.
"We had quite a bit of new additions to the team," he explained. "They're good players and they need time to adapt to this league.
"They're showing more confidence and showing how they can adapt to this league.
"We need to support them. We need to on and off the field know that with more time, this group can compete with anybody in the league."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Portland Timbers – Evander
Evander remains Neville's go-to man, having scored four and assisted three in just eight league appearances this year.
The Brazilian leads the Timbers for goal contributions in MLS this term, and Neville will hope his star man can deliver once more here.
San Jose Earthquakes – Hernan Lopez
Hernan Lopez was one player referenced by Gonzalez as needing time to find comfort in his new surroundings.
The Quakes man did just that on his first MLS start, scoring to overturn a two-goal deficit against Colorado.
MATCH PREDICTION – PORTLAND TIMBERS WIN
Portland are the overwhelming favourites for victory here, going unbeaten in 20 straight home matches against San Jose in all competitions (W16 D4) – dating back to September 2011.
That is the Timbers' second-longest home unbeaten run by one MLS team against another in all competitions, with this a chance to extend that impressive run.
Yet it will be by no means one-way traffic, considering Portland made it a club-record nine straight regular-season matches without a win (D3 L6), including three straight losses, with defeat to Seattle.
San Jose have also won three straight matches in all competitions for the first time in three years, setting this up for an enticing clash.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Portland Timbers win – 55.8%
San Jose Earthquakes win – 19.6%
Draw – 24.6%
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