Liverpool's focus is back on its Premier League title challenge after exiting Europe on Thursday night. The Reds beat Atalanta 1-0 in Italy but could not overturn the 3-0 first-leg deficit from last week at Anfield.

It means there are just six matches left of the Jürgen Klopp era, starting with Sunday's trip to Fulham. Klopp's men go into the weekend in third, two points adrift of leaders Manchester City.

But Liverpool could return to the top with victory if Arsenal does not pick up all three points at Wolves on Saturday, with City featuring in the FA Cup semi-finals. In fact, the Reds play twice before City is back in league action and can put the pressure right on Pep Guardiola's side.

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It has been a difficult few weeks for Liverpool, having won just three of its last six matches in all competitions. Sunday's defeat to Crystal Palace came as a real surprise in the title race, before Arsenal was also beaten at home by Aston Villa.

City is now in pole position to retain its Premier League crown and ex-Reds defender Jamie Carragher has dismissed the idea that Liverpool and Arsenal have thrown their title hopes away. "Mikel Arteta and Jürgen Klopp are being judged to the ultimate standard in taking on Pep Guardiola," he writes in The Telegraph.

"If Arsenal and Liverpool are ‘bottling it’ in April and May, what does that tell us about Manchester United and Chelsea for the rest of the season? They are clubs which have made so many poor decisions they are nowhere near the required level.

"City is so freakishly good with resources beyond Arsenal and Liverpool, the fairest reference point is with United and Chelsea, especially, who have spent mega millions for a watching brief in the race for the top four at this point in the season."

Liverpool's trip to Fulham is the first of three away matches in a week. It is followed by the Merseyside derby against Everton at Goodison Park before a clash with West Ham. Carragher believes there is plenty left to play for, with City also facing tough matches in the run-in.

He adds: "It is not over yet. One bad result for City allied to wins and good performances by Arsenal and Liverpool can change the landscape again."

Liverpool.com says: There has been plenty said about Liverpool and Arsenal's recent results but Carragher is right, neither should be criticized after excellent campaigns. Yes, Liverpool's form has dipped in recent weeks but the Palace loss was just the third of the season and second in 25 matches. Nobody thought the Reds would be where they are so they deserve praising, not doubting.

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Liverpool's hopes of ending Jürgen Klopp's reign with the one trophy missing from his collection are over. There will be no Dublin send-off for the German after the Reds' exit from the Europa League.

With the damage already done at Anfield last week, Liverpool could only muster a 1-0 win in the second leg of its quarter-final against Atalanta. Mohamed Salah scored the only goal from the penalty spot as the Reds crashed out 3-1 on aggregate.

Yet again, it was a similar story to recent outings, with Liverpool wasting its opportunities during the first half, before a rather lackluster effort in the second period confirmed its exit. It leaves the Reds with just the Premier League to play for now, and just six games remaining before Klopp bids farewell to Anfield.

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The UK's media were of course in attendance in Bergamo to see Liverpool's exit from Europe. Here's a round-up of what they made of Klopp's last European game in charge of the Reds.

Chris Bascombe, The Telegraph: "Liverpool’s end of an era party in Dublin is off.

"There will be no ordering a treble in the Irish capital for Jürgen Klopp. He may yet end the season with a double, but a terrible week means it is the fans who are downing the shots. Liverpool, sadly, failed to deliver enough of them to keep European dreams intact.

"A narrow second leg win over Atalanta was not enough to prevent all the hopes of a romantic Klopp farewell to Uefa competition evaporating amid the blue smoke in Bergamo, the full-time firework display heralding the Italian side’s greatest scalp.

"Liverpool’s victory was hollow rather than heroic despite the promise of Mohamed Salah’s seventh minute penalty. 'We didn’t lose tonight. We lost it at home,' Klopp accurately summed it up. 'I am disappointed we didn’t go through, not angry.'

"The damage of the shocking 3-0 defeat at Anfield was already done. The spirit of that Barcelona comeback could not be invoked. Not even the return of Divock Origi himself would have re-energised a strikeforce which has lost its spark at the worst time."

Miguel Delaney, The Independent: "Now the end is near, and Jürgen Klopp didn’t even get to do it his way. There was no last great European comeback, of the type that really made the German’s legacy at Liverpool. The failure to even get close to such a feat against a resolute Atalanta indicates there may not be one last grandstand in the Premier League, either.

"Instead, rather than making everyone lament Klopp’s departure when there might be so much more to give, this was just another match that illustrated this era really is 'running out of energy', as he put it.

"The great Mohamed Salah almost personifies this. The shadow we saw here wasn’t the player who has illuminated European football for so many seasons. It would be unfair to put too much on him or even Klopp, however.

"There is something bigger going on here, which led to a performance so unusually low in scale. This was just too much, in a way you don’t usually hear about a Klopp team.

"Liverpool just didn’t conjure enough against a canny Atalanta, who more than deserved their place in a Europa League semi-final after a 3-1 aggregate victory. It was all the more impressive given that Liverpool had been gifted an early goal, of exactly the type that often invigorates these ties. Klopp’s side instead just went flat."

Martin Hardy, The Times: "Jürgen Klopp sat on his stool like an ­exhausted boxer and did not move. It was the closing moments of his last game as Liverpool manager in Europe, a momentous seven campaigns in European football coming to an end amid the noise of Atalanta.

"Juan Musso, the Atalanta goalkeeper, had just claimed a wayward cross, fallen and stayed on the ground. The noise in the stadium increased. Klopp, hunched on a stool beside the visitors’ dugout, offered only a gentle clap.

"The German is leaving Liverpool because he feels exhausted. Heavy metal can do that. His players are starting to flag too. Their effort could not be faulted. They led early through a Mohamed Salah penalty, after only seven minutes, and then the Gewiss Stadium, itself being rebuilt, lost some of its own energy."

Lewis Steele, Daily Mail: "If you are going to fail, then make sure you fail beautifully. That was the rallying cry of Jürgen Klopp before Liverpool attempted to write another chapter into the book of inspirational comeback triumphs in Europe.

"In the end, this will have to go down as a failure. It was not beautiful, but it was a satisfactory performance that has healed some of the psychological wounds of the last fortnight and given fans hope that the Jürgen Klopp era can still have a magical ending.

"Winning on the night, via an early Mohamed Salah penalty, stopped the rot after two losses and a draw in the weeks before threatened to derail their season. Liverpool ended this tie with some credit but the damage had already been done and they left with nothing.

"Klopp will hope the Premier League finale does not follow that pattern. The German manager now has just six dates remaining on his farewell tour. The days of following Klopp’s Reds around Europe — a journey yielding four finals and a sixth European Cup crown for the club — are over.

"Salah’s goal after just seven minutes set the senses tingling that another great comeback was well on the cards but Gian Piero Gasperini’s hard-working side soon settled and induced this tie to fizzle out. With apologies for an obvious pun, the stubborn display was a typical Italian Job."

Liverpool.com says: Well, it wasn't supposed to end like this. Even in victory, Liverpool just looked like a side running out of steam. With six games still to go and the Premier League still to fight for, it doesn't look to promising for a fairy tale end to Klopp's time in charge.

* An AI tool was used to add an extra layer to the editing process for this story. You can read the original story in the Liverpool ECHO by clicking here.

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It is a well-trodden path that many managers have followed. When taking over at a new club, they look to strengthen by bringing in those players that they know best.

And as Rúben Amorim continues to be linked with replacing Jürgen Klopp this summer, it is no surprise to see Liverpool linked with members of his talented Sporting CP squad. After all, this is a team that sits seven points clear at the top of the Portuguese Primeira Liga table and is on the verge of a league and cup double.

Amorim has so far given very little away about his future and insists his focus remains on the task at hand. At this stage, it appears a decision will only be made once the season comes to an end.

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With Liverpool likely in need of at least one defensive reinforcement this summer, a couple of Sporting talents have emerged as possible targets. According to A Bola, Gonçalo Inácio has been scouted on multiple occasions this season., while Jornal de Notícias reports that Ousmane Diomande is also on the radar.

Neither will come cheap though with both boasting significant release clauses. Diomande, who is also reportedly a target for Chelsea and Newcastle, would cost around $85m (£68m/€79m).

Denmark international Morten Hjulmand has also been mooted as a potential target. Give Me Sport claims he has admirers at Anfield, with Manchester United also in the mix.

But one of the more interesting links is with ex-Coventry striker Viktor Gyökeres, who has hit the ground running in Portugal. He only arrived last summer but has already found the net 36 times in just 44 appearances for Sporting. HITC suggests Amorim would look to bring him to Anfield, if he is appointed this summer.

Sporting legend Manuel Fernandes even admitted he hopes the Swede would join Liverpool or Bayern Munich when the times come for him to move on. Any move for another attacker is likely to hinge on the futures of Mohamed Salah and Luis Díaz though, with both facing uncertain futures this summer.

Gyökeres' agent Hasan Cetinkaya previously spoke of the relationship between Amorim and the striker, telling A Bola: "It will be more difficult for Viktor to stay if Rúben leaves Sporting because Viktor came precisely because of Rúben. The day we met, I said to Rúben: ‘Here’s my boy, he came to Sporting because of you’.”

Now the Mirror claims that Liverpool could face competition from title rivals Arsenal for the 25-year-old. It is claimed that Mikel Arteta will be given a hefty transfer budget to improve his strike force this summer, with Gyökeres one of six potential targets.

Other options include Newcastle striker Alexander Isak and RB Leipzig's Benjamin Sesko but it is claimed the Gunners have been 'tracking' Gyökeres and could rival Liverpool for his signature.

Liverpool.com says: Sporting is having a fantastic season under Amorim and Gyökeres has played a big part in that. He cost the club just $22m (£17m/€20m) a year ago but would command a lot more now. Arsenal's need for a striker does seem greater than Liverpool's but it could be an area that the Reds' next boss looks to strengthen. If Amorim does take over, you'd hope he may be able to tempt Gyökeres to come with him.

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Even if Xabi Alonso was still in the running to replace Jürgen Klopp, all Liverpool eyes would have been trained on Bergamo tonight. But while the Reds tried and failed to stage another famous European comeback, their former midfielder was also in the dugout, navigating a trip to West Ham.

For a while, it was more or less presumed that Klopp would face off against Alonso in the Dublin final, in a fixture which may even serve as the passing of the torch. But both of those dreams are now dead, with Liverpool out of the competition and Alonso staying at Bayer Leverkusen.

Liverpool did briefly threaten to revive its hopes of advancing. Trent Alexander-Arnold's cross was blocked with a hand inside five minutes, and Mohamed Salah stepped up to convert, giving the visitor a long time to find two goals — a far more manageable task.

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Riding a wave of momentum, Liverpool threatened to add another quickly, and Luis Díaz just couldn't quite get on the end of a neat Cody Gakpo flick to double the lead on the night moments later. The Reds' threat then died down a little, but they had the best of the first half, and had a golden chance to go in with a two-goal advantage when Salah was sent clean through on goal.

With the ball bouncing invitingly, Salah went to lob the onrushing goalkeeper. But he connected all wrong, shinning it well wide.

Credit to Atalanta and especially Gian Piero Gasperini, who regrouped at half-time and played their own part in changing the narrative for the second half. But for Liverpool's part, it seemed like the belief had been sucked out.

Klopp did everything in his power to change things up. Gakpo ended the game notionally at left-back to accommodate a last roll of the dice with Jayden Danns, after Darwin Núñez and Diogo Jota had been introduced already. But rather than piling on the pressure, the goal threat seemed to diminish at the final whistle drew closer.

There was a painful contrast to what was unfolding in the other Europa League game under the watch of Alonso. Just like Liverpool, West Ham had scored early, and it only needed one more goal to force extra-time. It, too, was struggling to find it, but David Moyes was at least on the verge of finally ending Bayer Leverkusen's unbeaten streak.

Yet for the umpteenth time this season, Alonso's charges refused to say die. Remember, they were going through anyway, but still they found the reserves to score a late equalizer. Leverkusen are astoundingly close to an unprecedented invincible campaign across all competitions, and their comebacks simply feel inevitable at this stage.

Liverpool certainly had that quality at its peak under Klopp. The title-winning season was full of similar moments. But it also seemed to have that kind of aura earlier this season. Kick-started by Núñez's unlikely brace against Newcastle, Liverpool got a reputation as a comeback king. Even now, Klopp boasts far more goals by substitutes than his league peers. But they have not come in recent weeks.

There was no danger of Núñez repeating his dramatic brace tonight, with the contrast striking. Jota could hardly get a kick. Even Danns, who turned the League Cup final and then scored an FA Cup brace, could barely affect things with his youthful eagerness.

More than anything else, that's what makes it hard to be too confident in a Premier League fairytale. If it is to happen, Liverpool needs to re-find that unshakeable mentality, and it could do worse than looking to Alonso for inspiration.

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At no point in the second half did Liverpool really look like it would put Atalanta under some true pressure in Bergamo. But at the same time, the damage as Jürgen Klopp's side quietly slid, rather than crashed, out of the Europa League, was mainly done a week ago at Anfield.

Mohamed Salah put Liverpool ahead from the penalty spot but he missed the best chance of the game at the Gewiss Stadium. When put through on goal, the Egyptian could only lift the ball wide when he looked certain to score. Had Salah made it 2-0 on the night, any Atalanta jitters would have been amplified — but the sixth-placed Serie A side was instead let off the hook.

"We won and we kept a clean sheet," Virgil van Dijk told TNT Sports post-match. "We played better than last week and there were many things to be positive [about]."

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And the Liverpool captain is right. While the Reds are out of the competition and have played their final match in Europe under Klopp, they also have six big Premier League matches left to fight for. The signs were there that they might be more winnable than they looked post-Cystal Palace.

Cody Gakpo was sharp and looked good, helping knit things together in the middle of the pitch. The Dutch forward should start again versus Fulham on Sunday and he has done more than enough to keep the shirt.

Trent Alexander-Arnold tired a lot in the second half but he showed his class in the first. Managing 70 minutes on his first start since getting injured two months ago, the full-back will have benefited from the extra action in his legs.

Alisson Becker, too, was superb, and showed the gulf between him and any other goalkeeper in world football. He was strong with his saves but impressed as an extra outfield player with the positions that he was taking up. Caoimhín Kelleher is very good but Alisson is on another level altogether.

With its first choice back five starting together for only the first time since August, it should be no surprise that Liverpool kept a clean sheet here. There is more improvement to be done in the final third but this was at least a step in the right direction.

In Gakpo, Alexander-Arnold and Alisson, three big players are back and will have benefited from the time on the field. "We are back to winning ways," Klopp said at the final whistle, and that is true.

If Liverpool is to win six out of six in the Premier League run-in — and make no mistake, that is what will be required to lift the trophy — it will need to build again from here. But this was a start; the exit from Europe remains a shock one, but for what happened a week ago rather than here.

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GEWISS STADIUM, BERGAMO// Liverpool knew it had left itself a mountain to climb after a 3-0 reversal at Anfield. But it travelled to take on Atalanta buoyed by memories of famous European comebacks of old, with Jürgen Klopp certainly not minded to give up.

A three-goal deficit was quickly sliced down to two from the penalty spot, further swelling belief. But the 12-yard test told us little about whether Liverpool had overcome the finishing woes that have dogged recent fixtures.

When Mohamed Salah passed up a glorious opportunity to make it two, shinning his attempted chip horribly wide, a familiar fear crept in. That would have put Liverpool just a goal away from forcing extra time with more than 45 minutes to find it, but Atalanta held onto its safety net, and the Reds struggled to displace it.

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The big disappointment for Liverpool will be that it ultimately failed even to make it too nervy for Atalanta, as Klopp's time in Europe with Liverpool ended in hollow victory. Here are the four things Liverpool.com spotted as the game unfolded.

Salah gesture comes to nothing

It was the perfect start for Liverpool, as it was always going to have to be to give the Reds a chance. Instead of falling behind early, as has been an infuriating trend this season, the visitor was awarded a penalty inside five minutes.

For a brief moment, it looked like Alexis Mac Allister might step up, having been the taker in Mohamed Salah's absence. But the Egyptian took on the responsibility of the pressure kick.

Seemingly nerveless, Salah slotted the penalty away with no fuss. And his reaction spoke volumes.

There was no celebration whatsoever. Salah almost chased after his penalty in order to fish the ball out of the net and rush it back to the center circle. Liverpool hasn't looked especially recognizable in the last couple of games, but Klopp's mentality monsters seemed to be back on show here from the off.

Yet there was a fragility to it. For a while, Liverpool threatened to turn one into two and make things really interesting, but the opening just wouldn't quite come. And when it did fall to Salah, and he skewed it wide, some of that belief seemed to evaporate.

Alisson the spare man

In a repeat of his League Cup 2022 decision, Klopp opted to field Alisson in Caoimhín Kelleher's competition, with his number one still on his way back to full sharpness. But to be fair, the Brazilian looked plenty sharp enough here.

He was forced to showcase that to prevent a Virgil van Dijk own goal shortly after Liverpool had taken the lead. The offside flag eventually went up anyway, but Alisson wasn't to know that as he changed direction brilliantly, clawing the ball away from the line.

Meanwhile, he had an interesting role in possession. How much was in the game-plan only he and the coaches know, with Klopp seemingly urging him back to his goal at one point, but Alisson regularly stepped out with the ball, even approaching the center circle on one occasion.

With Atalanta's man-marking, Alisson was the spare man, putting the spotlight on his distribution. And while Trent Alexander-Arnold was unmatched in his ability to spray it around, the goalkeeper played his part too, with another side of his ridiculously well-rounded game coming to the fore.

Klopp's subs speak volumes

It was always likely that Klopp would look to the bench at some point. The game was threatening to go flat with 25 minutes to play, and it seemed an astute time to go to the bench.

On came Darwin Núñez and Diogo Jota. They replaced Salah and Luis Díaz.

Most would have expected Cody Gakpo to be one of those who made way. But on a night where Liverpool deployed a highly fluid front three to try and shake off the man-marking shackles, the Dutchman knitted everything together really nicely.

Gakpo nearly released Díaz with a beautiful flick in the first half, and there were plenty of cute moments like that in tight spaces. He looked like one of the few who could really punish Atalanta for getting so tight.

It was a big statement for Klopp to leave Gakpo on and withdraw Salah. But right now, he probably is the form forward, and this was another encouraging outing for a player who was coming in for heavy criticism a few weeks ago.

A nod to the new era

There's no escaping it. This was a flat way for Klopp to bow out of European competition with Liverpool, having thrice taken it to the Champions League final.

But the introduction of Jayden Danns was a nice touch. Klopp turned to the youngster to try and find a route to goal, make no mistake, but it was also symbolic.

Danns is already good enough to be trusted in situations like these. But for the next manager, he could end up being a truly key figure, along with any number of promising youth talent. There's disappointment now, but the future is bright.

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