Back to earth, have we been expecting too much of Liverpool?

It is surely impossible that Arne Slot’s side could wobble in the Premier League, despite being rattled now by both PSG and Newcastle.

Liverpool's Mohamed Salah stands dejected during the Carabao Cup final at Wembley. Picture: John Walton/PA Wire. 

Liverpool, having allowed two trophies to slip from their grasp in the space of six days, have suddenly experienced how even a seemingly perfect season can start to crumble – and now all eyes are on how they ensure it stops here.

It is surely impossible that Arne Slot’s side could wobble in the Premier League, despite they way they have been rattled now by both PSG and Newcastle, given that they are 12 points clear of Arsenal and already crowned champions by many pundits.

But this month must have been an eye-opener for the Dutchman in his first season in charge at Anfield, after everything else had gone so smoothy.

PSG gave his side a wake-up call in Paris and then finished the job at Anfield, before Eddie Howe and his Toon Army out-thought and out-fought them in the Carabao Cup at Wembley, with a deserved 2-1 victory, too.

There will be those who will say, quite fairly, that Liverpool’s mammoth Champions League tie against PSG played a significant part in how they played here just a few days later. The experience of losing that game on penalties must have been mentally and physically exhausting.

But it wasn’t only energy and drive that was the issue against Newcastle. It was chance creation, too – not to mention a feeling that their opponents, and especially the outstanding Joelinton, visibly wanted it more.

Federico Chiesa's late goal may have given Slot's side hope but it came too late - and in many ways, Eddie Howe won the tactical battle against Slot. That’s important, because it’s a suggestion that was also made in Paris until Liverpool’s late, late goal there changed the headlines.

At Wembley, Liverpool’s strange first half tactic of focusing on balls over the top played into the hands of their opponents and broke the game up too often, with the Newcastle defence looking comfortable.

In fact, Slot’s side created very little in those opening 45 minutes, with key players such as Salah and MacAllister quiet – and goodness knows how they left the tallest man on the pitch, Dan Burn, entirely free to head home the opener.

Champions League hangover? Perhaps. But there were other issues at play, too.

By the time Alexander Isak made it 2-0 (having also seen a goal disallowed for offside) the result was looking inevitable.

So, perhaps it’s time to ask: Have we simply been expecting too much of this Liverpool side?

Anfield legend Ian Rush made an interesting comment in the build-up to this match during an interview on BBC Radio 5 Live, when discussing Slot’s impact in comparison to expectations in his first year in charge.

We’ve come to take Liverpool’s consistent performances for granted this season in the Premier League (and in the opening matches of the Champions League too), but not all experts were predicting that back in August.

Replacing Jurgen Klopp was never going to be easy and many pundits were swayed by the experience of Manchester United since losing Alex Ferguson, and by Arsenal’s history since parting ways with Arsene Wenger, when predicting Liverpool’s season.

It’s a theme that Rush picked up when discussing Slot’s season.

“If Liverpool could win a trophy and finish in the top four, I would have taken it all day long,” he said. “Arne Slot has overachieved. He has changed the way that they're playing and the team has bought into it.” 

Was this the moment that proved Rush right? Or just one match too many in a frenetic and emotional week?

Either way, Liverpool know they have to respond.

Out to Plymouth in the FA Cup, out to PSG in the Champions League and Carabao Cup dreams over, too. But they do still have a healthy lead in the Premier League – although down from 15 points to 12 following Arsenal’s narrow win over Chelsea.

It’s unthinkable, almost impossible, that Liverpool could collapse from that position, and few will predict anything other than Slot’s first season in charge ending with a famous title victory.

But the Dutchman is certainly learning lessons about life in England after the last few weeks, and realising it isn’t all as plain sailing as it looked for the first seven months in charge. 

There isn’t much time to rest or re-set, either. The international break is followed by a Merseyside derby at Anfield on Wednesday April 2 – and after what happened at Goodison last time out, that one is going to be feisty.

With nine games to go, Liverpool’s run-in also includes matches against Chelsea, Arsenal and Brighton.

There is nothing to suggest that Slot’s side won’t see it out; after all they have been outstanding from the get-go in league football. But even a sliver of doubt adds pressure in the short term.

What we can say is that defeat at Wembley and in Europe has brought the Reds back down to Earth - and given their mercurial manager a reminder that, even when you are Liverpool, nothing comes easy.