Liverpool is going into a vital stretch of the season, and after defeats to Atalanta and Crystal Palace, Jürgen Klopp's side need to return to winning ways this week. What had been a brilliant season until seven days ago has taken a massive hit, and Liverpool needs to rebound quickly to keep themselves in the trophy hunt.

The Reds travel to Bergamo to face Atalanta in the second leg of the Europa League quarter final after a poor first leg at Anfield, in which Liverpool lost 3-0 and looked like a side running out of steam. The loss was then compounded with a 1-0 defeat to Palace that put a massive dent in its title hopes.

The only saving grace on Sunday was Arsenal's defeat to Aston Villa, but Liverpool is still behind Manchester City in the title race and its destiny is now out of its own hands.

The Reds will now need a favor in order to overthrow City and return to the top of the Premier League table and, with only six games remaining, time is running out. But Klopp will be demanding his players win every game from hear on in and at least do their bit.

Here, Liverpool.com takes a scan around the Premier League and across the continent to see what's going on at Liverpool's rivals including a potential battle with Arsenal and speculation over Jadon Sancho's future.

Arsenal join Liverpool in race for Frankfurt star

Liverpool is set to face competition from Arsenal for Eintracht Frankfurt defender Willian Pacho. That's according to German journalist Florian Plettenberg, who claims both sides could strengthen their defenses this summer.

Pacho has been at the Bundesliga outfit for less than a year, having joined from Belgian side Royal Antwerp last summer. However, the 22-year-old Ecuadorian has made a massive impact at Frankfurt, and his performances have caught the eye of both Liverpool and Arsenal.

Plettenberg states that should someone meet Frankfurt's valuation of between $53m-$63m (£42m/€50m and £51m/€60m) for the defender, then the Bundesliga side would be willing to let him go at the end of the season.

Liverpool.com says: Liverpool could be in the market for a defender with Joël Matip likely to leave the club at the end of the season with his contract expiring. Pacho has had a good season in the Bundesliga, and his age and profile would fit nicely into what Liverpool looks for in a potential signing.

Sancho open to Man United return

Manchester United loanee Jadon Sancho is open to a return to his parent club next season, with current manager Erik ten Hag's future hanging in the balance. Sancho and Ten Hag had a falling out earlier this season, and the English winger rejoined Borussia Dortmund on loan. It appeared then that he had no future at United.

But the i newspaper suggests that Sancho would open to a return to Old Trafford next season, with it looking unlikely that Ten Hag will remain in charge. The Dutchman's future is up in the air following another disappointing season, and Champions League football looks unlikely for the Red Devils.

Sancho has made 14 appearances for Dortmund since returning, scoring twice, and will be involved in the semi-finals of the Champions League against Paris Saint-Germain.

Liverpool.com says: The Sancho-Ten Hag spat overshadowed the first half of the season for United, and it's unlikely the England international would return, unless Ten Hag departs ahead of next season. How the issue is resolved in the summer remains to be seen, but it would be no surprise to see Sancho back in a red shirt.