UEFA confirms what Liverpool already knew as repeat looks unlikely for Jürgen Klopp

Last season could not have gone much worse for Liverpool. Burned by its decision not to buy a midfielder and with the energy levels of those at the club fast depleting, Jürgen Klopp's men sank down the Premier League table like a stone. A late turnaround, instigated by Trent Alexander-Arnold's debut in the hybrid role, meant that Liverpool ended up finishing fifth in the standings. While that might yet be enough for a Champions League place this season (though Manchester United and Newcastle have done their best to stop that), it was sufficient only for a Europa League spot last year.

For a side that has gone all the way to the final three times under Klopp, that was not what Liverpool was expecting. From the final in Paris in 2022 to missing out completely less than a year on was not what anyone would have predicted. Given the distinct lack of quality in the knockout rounds this season compared to the past, Liverpool might yet be made to regret missing out even more. Manchester City and Arsenal must surely be eyeing up going all the way, along with Real Madrid and Bayern Munich.

Aside from those teams, though, it is pretty hard to make a case for many more major contenders. If Liverpool was in the competition, it would have been right up there among the favorites to win the whole thing for a seventh time. UEFA's club coefficient rankings (accessible via its website) would back that theory up too. Updated on Friday after the conclusion of all the latest group matches, Liverpool is fifth, behind only Manchester City, Bayern Munich, Real Madrid and PSG.

While it is a marker of performance in Europe over the last five years rather than a direct verdict on each team right now (Chelsea, for instance, ranks eighth, but won't be that high for much longer), the Reds are rightly viewed as being right among the elite. The only other Europa League team in the top 10 is AS Roma. For a team as good as Liverpool to not even have qualified for the competition this season shows two things. Firstly, the quality of the Premier League, but also the drop-off that the Reds experienced.

Better than Liverpool?

The two sides that finished ahead of Liverpool last season and should still have been within reach even with a decline both finished bottom of their groups this time around. Manchester United is now ninth in the UEFA rankings. Newcastle is 83rd on the list (seven places behind Leicester City). Even Arsenal, having only just returned to the top four, is 21st, behind the likes of Porto and Leverkusen. Liverpool should never have found itself out of the Champions League this season and better planning in its midfield overhaul could easily have avoided that scenario playing out. But it already looks well on track to return when the new format comes in next year. Even in a new-look competition, its place as one of the favorites will instantly reappear.