What’s Ailing Liverpool:…

In the 33rd minute against Chelsea, Liverpool midfielder Ryan Gravenberch stared at the ground as ironic cheers echoed through Stamford Bridge. His poorly executed pass to teammate Milos Kerkez rolled harmlessly out of bounds, reflecting Liverpool’s ongoing challenges on a night capped with a last-minute goal from Estêvão that sealed Liverpool’s third consecutive defeat across all competitions.

Disjointed and lacking confidence, Arne Slot’s team appears to be a far cry from the title-winning squad that triumphed last season. This followed a recent 2-1 loss in West London, adding to previous defeats against Crystal Palace and Galatasaray.

“Our decision-making needs to improve,” Slot remarked in his post-match press conference last Saturday. “We’ve faced fine margins, like I’ve said since I arrived here. Last week and this week were tough away matches, and we haven’t benefited from those margins.”

After previously capitalizing on late-game goals in the early season, Liverpool has now fallen victim to those same fine margins, losing the top spot to Arsenal.

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With perspective, we must note that this marks the first instance in Slot’s managerial career where he’s lost three matches consecutively, and his side remains only one point behind Arsenal. There is still ample opportunity for Liverpool to rebound this season, especially with their £450 million in summer signings likely to adapt and achieve their potential soon.

Nonetheless, it’s glaringly clear that Slot’s squad isn’t yet ready to defend their Premier League title. The question remains: What is hindering their performance, and how can they rectify these issues?

“Winning” the transfer window doesn’t guarantee success

As Liverpool concluded an extraordinary summer of spending by securing Newcastle United striker Alexander Isak for a record £125 million on deadline day, it seemed like the perfect conclusion to an impressive transfer window.

Isak was the seventh major signing for the Reds, joining the likes of Florian Wirtz and Jeremie Frimpong from Bayer Leverkusen, Hugo Ekitike from Bournemouth, and Giovanni Leoni from Parma. Additionally, goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili joined the squad after a loan spell.

Just months after clinching the title by 10 points, it appeared Liverpool had bolstered their capabilities, positioning themselves as favorites in the Premier League. However, merely “winning” the transfer market often doesn’t translate to on-field success, and the influx of new players has left Slot’s side in a transitional phase.

Last season’s success was built on consistency, with Slot able to field the same starting XI more often (seven times) than Jürgen Klopp did over 491 matches (five). Central to this continuity was the strength of Liverpool’s midfield, with Gravenberch, Dominik Szoboszlai, and Alexis Mac Allister starting together in 28 of the club’s 56 games. This season, they have only paired together in midfield twice, with Mac Allister still regaining fitness after an injury-laden preseason, and Szoboszlai frequently deployed at right back.

Currently, Wirtz is more frequently stationed in the starting lineup. However, the 22-year-old, acquired for £100 million, has not yet met the high expectations. To date, he has played nine matches this season without registering a goal or an assist, leading former Premier League striker Wayne Rooney to claim that he “disrupts the balance” of the team.

Rooney’s criticism, albeit perhaps harsh, noted that while many players take time to adapt to the league, Wirtz has only created more chances for Liverpool than Cody Gakpo. He has shown enough glimpses of brilliance to suggest he could still become an asset for the team.

However, both he and Isak have struggled initially, albeit with understandable reasons for Isak’s slow start. The Swedish forward came to Liverpool lacking match fitness after attempting to secure a transfer from Newcastle United with a strike. He has only started four matches, and while he registered an assist against Chelsea, he still appears to be far from peak form.

Defensively, players like Kerkez and Frimpong have faced challenges maintaining consistent performances, while Leoni, who showed promise in his debut against Southampton, is now slated to miss the remainder of the season due to an ACL injury.

Striker Ekitike has, however, impressed among the new signings, contributing four goals and an assist in his nine appearances this season. Yet, he has missed a match due to suspension and found himself benched against Chelsea after suffering a knock in the previous game.

With all the media attention on Liverpool’s summer signings, their failure to secure defender Marc Guéhi from Crystal Palace may have been the most costly missed opportunity. Reports claim Liverpool’s chairman accepted a £35 million bid on deadline day, but Palace retracted as they couldn’t find a suitable replacement. Although Liverpool’s defense is considered sufficiently stocked, Guehi’s presence could have added much-needed steadiness to a defense that has appeared somewhat vulnerable this season.

Veteran players underperforming

Despite winning the Premier League last season, Liverpool’s summer was anticipated to be transformative, requiring replacements for key players.

Reports indicate that defender Trent Alexander-Arnold expressed his decision to leave for Real Madrid as a free agent back in March, while forward Luis Díaz also sought a fresh challenge, transferring to Bayern Munich for £65.5 million.

Add to this striker Darwin Núñez desiring a move to Saudi Arabia, and the noticeable decline of defender Andy Robertson, and it was clear Liverpool had pressing needs for new additions in the defense. Additionally, the untimely passing of forward Diogo Jota in July deeply affected the club, both emotionally and logistically, intensifying the need for attacking support.

Considering the need for adjustment due to the departures of these key players, alongside the fact that they averaged 2,723 minutes of competitive play, it was expected that Liverpool’s new dynamics would take time to solidify. What has complicated this transition, however, is that several existing stars are also underperforming.

The most evident example is Mohamed Salah, whose downturn in form has been extensively analyzed. The Egyptian international has been a cornerstone for Liverpool since joining in 2017, achieving remarkable heights last season with 34 goals and 23 assists.

This season, however, Salah has struggled to replicate that success. His non-penalty expected goals plus expected assists (npxG+xA) stands at just 0.34 per 90 minutes, a significant drop from 0.87 last season and below his career average of 0.79. Additionally, he has taken only 11 non-penalty shots in seven league games this season, down from 22 during the same timeframe last year.

On the defensive front, the partnership of Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konaté has not appeared as formidable as in previous seasons; Slot’s side has already conceded nine league goals — a milestone they didn’t reach until December last year.

At right-back, academy graduate Conor Bradley has been less disciplined than expected, while Mac Allister has struggled to replicate the form that earned him a place in the PFA Team of the Year for the previous season.

The blend of introducing new players while some existing stars underperforming has created a troubling situation for Liverpool.

Challenging start exacerbates Liverpool’s issues

Amidst these diverse issues, one significant factor often overlooked is Liverpool’s challenging start to the season.

Opta has ranked Liverpool’s opening fixtures as the fifth most difficult, with only Manchester United, Arsenal, Bournemouth, and Everton facing tougher terms. Slot’s side has played five of the current top eight teams in their first seven matches, indicating that while the table may shift, they have encountered some top-performing opponents early on.

In total, Liverpool has faced five teams currently positioned in the top eight of the league. Though early in the season, the Reds have battled some of the most formidable teams while having only confronted one club from the bottom six (Burnley, away).

In comparison, Arsenal has already squared off against three bottom-six teams at home (Nottingham Forest, Leeds United, and West Ham United), facing only two of the top eight teams thus far (a loss away to Liverpool and a home draw with Manchester City).

Still, Arsenal has been strong this season and, according to Opta, currently leads the odds to win the title. While Liverpool appears unbalanced and defensively weak, Arsenal looks cohesive and structured, potentially building a significant lead with their favorable fixture lineup ahead.

That said, we are still very much in the early stages of the season. From late November to early January, Liverpool is set to face primarily teams in the bottom half of the standings in seven out of nine matches. If they can maintain proximity to Arsenal during this stretch, there remains hope for their season.

However, if Liverpool doesn’t resolve the early-season issues that have plagued them, they might soon find the opportunities to turn things around slipping further away.

“It was always going to be a challenging season”

Assessing Liverpool’s start requires acknowledging the turmoil faced by Slot and his players over the summer.

The beloved Jota’s passing unsettled the football community, and while it’s hard to measure its impact on player performances, it undoubtedly weighs heavily on those closest to him — a sentiment expressed by captain Van Dijk following the Chelsea match.

“It was always going to be a tough season,” he stated. “I highlighted this from the beginning. We must confront this through unity, not just as players but as a staff and our supporters, who take pride in our championship win—something we must cherish.”

It wasn’t long ago that many first-team players visibly reacted to tributes paid to Jota during a pre-season friendly against Preston North End. Just recently, Salah emotionally acknowledged the fans’ chants for Jota’s name after Liverpool’s 4-2 victory over AFC Bournemouth.

Considering that Slot’s squad is merely a point behind the table leaders, particularly after coping with so many emotional challenges, is commendable. While Liverpool still needs to address multiple tactical issues on the field, it’s critical to keep in mind that off-field matters and emotional well-being play a significant role in athletic performance. The impacts of grief can be profound and long-lasting, even amid the constant flow of sports narratives.