Liverpool FC lost to Manchester United after squandering chances in several games – but another problem is causing even greater concern. Even Arne Slot missed a question at the press conference.
When Eintracht Frankfurt drew Liverpool FC in the Champions League draw at the end of August, they certainly expected anything but this. If Dino Toppmöller’s team defeats the English champions on Wednesday, it will be their fifth consecutive loss – the first time since 1953. Eintracht is still far from being the favorite, but after studying their opponent’s past performances, they will have noticed that something is possible, perhaps even a lot.
It’s quite obvious that the Reds’ season has taken its first major turn. Lucky wins have turned into unlucky losses, but the diagnosis remains the same: the team, which was renewed for millions in the summer but has not been strengthened so far, has lost its balance and thus its self-image from the outstanding previous year. Yes, it even loses at home to Manchester United.
On Sunday, when their archrivals triumphed at Anfield for the first time in nine years and won two league games in a row for the first time under Ruben Amorim, Liverpool once again squandered chances for several games: Cody Gakpo hit the woodwork three times before his 1-1 equalizer; the Reds’ xGoals value ended up at 2.75 (ManUnited: 1.34); Mohamed Salah, who was even substituted at the end, has gone seven league games without scoring for the first time in his career, not counting penalties.
Kerkez’s weakness – and the frightening problems with set pieces
And yet, what the Guardian called the “real problem” is causing even greater concern: the permanent defensive vulnerability. “Of course, there’s the part that nobody asked about, but I can tell you about it,” said coach Arne Slot, bringing the topic into focus himself without being asked at his press conference after the 1-2 defeat.
The early deficit was controversial because referee Michael Oliver did not stop play even though Alexis Mac Allister had gone down after a headbutt and later had to receive several stitches. On the other hand, Bryan Mbeumo’s goal could still have been prevented.
Throughout the game, the defense, in which new left-back Milos Kerkez continues to be a clear weak point, did not exude confidence, with even captain Virgil van Dijk recently succumbing to the contagion. The 1-2 came after a frighteningly familiar pattern: Harry Maguire scored from a corner. Of Liverpool’s eleven league goals conceded, five have now come from set pieces. Last year, after eight matchdays, it was zero out of three. The current losing streak began when Crystal Palace’s Slots team duped them deep into stoppage time after a throw-in.
Wirtz again without a starring role – Van Dijk calls for cohesion
Back then, too, the champions had made up for a deficit with an all-out attack, only to end up empty-handed. Against ManUnited, Slot made offensive changes after an hour, bringing on Florian Wirtz alongside Hugo Ekitiké, who once again failed to play a major role (33 touches, three shots on goal, 0.1 xAssists). “We had six or seven attacking players on the pitch. That’s perhaps why the structure in defense from set pieces against Palace and now wasn’t as perfect as usual,” the coach reflected. “Maybe it’s no coincidence.”
It’s certainly no coincidence that Liverpool’s opponents are constantly pushing them to take such personnel risks. “This is an interesting phase right now. We have to stick together,“ van Dijk demands in view of the results crisis, from which ”results” can soon be confidently deleted if things continue like this. Liverpool are already four points behind leaders Arsenal. “If you compare all the highlights from the three games we lost in the Premier League, you would say that it’s hardly possible to lose. So if we continue to play as we have been and improve a few things, there is every reason to believe that we will win football games again,” says the Dutchman, sticking to his analysis that only minor details are missing for better results. However, he should not ignore one problem: when Liverpool were still winning at the start of the season, their opponents could often say the same thing.
