By Martin Graham
Four straight defeats, a drop to fourth in the Premier League table and four points adrift of the leaders. arsenal — Liverpool’s the season has taken a worrying turn.
For a team that stormed the title last year, Arne Slot’s side now look disjointed: fragile in defence, sluggish in midfield and lacking spark up front. Despite spending almost £450m on reinforcements, the Dutch manager still seems uncertain about his strongest line-up.
In the defeat by 2-1 to Manchester United at Anfield, high-profile additions Florian Wirtz, Hugo Ekitikei Jeremy Frimpong — costing more than £200m in total — started on the bench. Former defender Stephen Warnock summed up the mood: “Slot has a dilemma about how to fit these players in. Sometimes the biggest names don’t fit the team.”
Salah’s form and future
Mohamed Salahface of Liverpool’s attack for eight years, he has endured one of his toughest spells since arriving in 2017. After 29 league goals last season, the 33-year-old has not found the net from open play since the opening day win. Bournemouth.
His last goal in La Liga: a penalty against Burnley on September 14, it feels distant, and Sunday’s miss in front of the Kop symbolized his struggles. Once known for his brave runs at defenders, Salah now looks hesitant and lacking in confidence.
Liverpool’s slower pace hasn’t appealed to him either. He thrives on quick transitions, taking on defenders directly rather than holding the ball. With his defensive work also under scrutiny, critics such as Wayne Rooney have questioned his intensity.
Slot now faces a bold decision: whether to keep faith with his longtime talisman or consider leaving it out.
Find the right strike association
Alexandre Isak’s The £125m move was aimed at bolstering Liverpool’s attack, but the Swedish striker’s start has been underwhelming. Without a goal in seven league games, he has struggled to find his rhythm after missing pre-season during a lengthy transfer saga with Newcastle.
Meanwhile, Hugo Ekitike has started brightly, scoring five in his first eight outings, but has since lost his place after a costly red card for taking off his shirt in celebration. Slot criticized this second booking as “stupid” and has since preferred Isak as his main striker.
Against Manchester United, Isak’s 19 touches in 71 minutes offered little threat, while the substitute Federico Chiesa made more of an impact on the half-hour, setting up the tie. With the two main strikers still to convince, Slot must decide whether to persist with Isak, recall Ekitike or try to use them together.
Midfield creativity and the Wirtz question
Florian Wirtz’s £116m arrival from Bayer Leverkusen He was supposed to add flair but the German playmaker has found life difficult in England. Despite a full pre-season, he has made just one assist – again in the Community Shield defeat to Crystal Palace.
Last season in Germany, Wirtz thrived cutting in from the left. At Liverpool, Slot has used him centrally, which has unsettled the previously solid trio Ryan Gravenberch, Alexis McAllisteri Dominik Szoboszlai.
When on the pitch, Wirtz has shown flashes of creativity, leading the league in chances created per 90 minutes among players with more than 200 minutes played. But Slot has mostly targeted the old guard, leaving the expensive new signing on the bench.
Liverpool’s attacks still lack imagination, raising the question of whether Wirtz should return to the starting line-up and others will be challenged to make better use of their passing.
Defensive dilemmas on the side
replacing Trent Alexander-Arnoldwho joined Real Madrid, it has been difficult. £29.5m signing Jeremie Frimpong was expected to feature but has shared minutes with Conor Bradley and even Szoboszlai, whose switch to right-back has harmed the balance of the midfield.
This right-back has become a target for opponents, with more than a third of attacks against Liverpool coming from that flank. Both Frimpong and Bradley like to get forward, leaving gaps behind, while Salah’s limited defensive help exacerbates the problem.
On the opposite side, the signing of 40 million pounds Milos Kerkez he has replaced Andy Robertson but has struggled for defensive discipline, often leaving Virgil van Dijk exposed Critics such as Chris Sutton have described the situation as “a disaster”, arguing that no full-back position feels secure.
Central defense concern
The instability in the full-back roles has increased the pressure on Van Dijk and Ibrahima Konatethat they themselves have appeared vulnerable. Liverpool have already conceded 11 goals in the league – compared to just three at this stage last season – and have kept just two clean sheets.
Set-pieces are another problem – five goals conceded from set-pieces leaves them among the worst in the division. Individual mistakes have also hurt, from Konate’s mistakes in the opener at Bournemouth to Van Dijk’s miss leading to United’s opener.
Slot must urgently restore defensive cohesion to avoid further slip-ups, or risk seeing Liverpool’s season unravel even more quickly.
