Arne Slot's frustration reached boiling point after Liverpool's Champions League quarter-final exit to Paris Saint-Germain, with the Dutchman venting about missed chances, a mounting injury crisis and VAR decisions going against his side. The Reds created 1.92 Expected Goals at Anfield but failed to score, summing up a season of profligacy in the final third.

The statistics paint a damning picture. Liverpool scored just 24 goals from 27.8 xG in the Champions League - the biggest underperformance among the quarter-finalists. In the Premier League, they've missed 59 of 86 clear-cut openings, with only Aston Villa boasting a worse conversion rate. Mohamed Salah missed 11 of 14 big chances while Virgil van Dijk converted just one of his eight opportunities.

The injury curse has devastated Liverpool's attacking plans. Alexander Isak, the £125m summer signing from Newcastle, suffered a broken leg in December and made his first start since then against PSG. The planned £320m forward trio of Isak, Florian Wirtz and Hugo Ekitike has rarely featured together, with Ekitike joining the treatment room against PSG. Slot noted he'd only managed 88 minutes with all three available.

VAR also drew Slot's ire after a penalty for Alexis Mac Allister was overturned. He pointed to several controversial decisions this season, though he acknowledged Liverpool benefited from some calls in Paris. With a trophyless season confirmed, Slot must secure a top-five Premier League finish to preserve Champions League football. The future looks bright with young talent including Wirtz (22), Ekitike (23) and 17-year-old Rio Ngumoha, but results in the remaining six league games will define this campaign.