Liverpool’s disastrous start to the Premier League season has sent shockwaves through the ranks of fans and pundits alike. A thorough victory The team clinched the championship with a dominant 5-1 win over Tottenham in April. Since then, they have continued to fail miserably. The team has faltered, grabbing only 23 points from their last 18 games. A 1-1 draw last weekend against Sunderland at home has put a lot of serious doubt on their course.
More concerning, though, was the match with Sunderland, where Liverpool couldn’t find a way to finish. Joe Gomez, then Liverpool’s £125 million defender, had a nightmare. He only won eight of the nine duels he lost. Mohamed Salah, often viewed as the better of the team’s offensive players, all but disappeared in the second half. He lost all four of his duels, a worrisome sign for a coming impact level.
Struggles in Key Areas
Liverpool’s recent performances have been defined by an aimlessness and ineffectiveness on the field. That’s a lot of pressure to put on a team that’s somehow won just three of their last 14 matches in all competitions. Theirs is an unfortunate record. They have not achieved a hat-trick of league victories at Anfield since March 2021. The draw with Sunderland was the latest such chance squandered to recover their early season impetus.
From a performance view, many players have struggled. Virgil van Dijk has come under fire for his subpar performances. As Jamie Carragher noted by calling out himself as “one of the worst offenders” just yesterday. Van Dijk’s hesitance has been apparent, with the defender often found “second-guessing” himself in key situations throughout the match.
Alexander Isak, who moved to Liverpool in January, found it similarly tough going on the front line. He created no shots on target from three chances and recorded just two touches in the opponent’s box. That absence of engagement points to a troubling trend in Liverpool’s offense.
“Liverpool have been awful. Sunderland have been so much sharper. Virgil van Dijk turns his back. That goal sums up Liverpool in this game.” – Jamie Carragher
Tactical and Structural Concerns
The highly-praised tactical approach of Liverpool’s manager Jürgen Klopp has recently faced heavy criticism in response to the teams recent slip-ups. Even Carragher observed that the manager doesn’t know what his best starting eleven is. Newcomers like Florian Wirtz and Isak are still finding their fitness and rhythm. The importance of a clear tactical outline especially considering this part of the season has never been so crucial.
Carragher went on to explain that there was a real need for Liverpool to have one defined way of playing. He stated, “The manager doesn’t know his best XI. Players are coming in and finding their fitness… They’ve got to make a decision on what the structure is and roll with it.”
This lack of clarity has turned into a lack of control for Liverpool, conspicuously evident in our struggles to dominate matches. In Liverpool’s loss against Sunderland, the Reds had a complete meltdown at the back as Sunderland had more successful tackles, interceptions and blocks than Liverpool. Additionally, Sunderland outshot their opponent on-target, showing their attacking prowess.
Fan Reactions and Future Outlook
No surprise then that the response from fans and pundits alike has been almost universally scathing after the 0-0 draw with Sunderland. Jamie Redknapp remarked on Salah’s diminishing influence, stating, “As good as Salah has been, everything comes to an end.” This sentiment reflects deep, collective fears about the team’s overall cohesion. Soon enough, key players will start to get annoyed with their treatment.
Carragher warned that Liverpool’s trajectory is concerning: “The performance was really, really worrying. It feels like a step back. They didn’t look like scoring. They were lacking zip, energy, pace and power.” Those kind of rankings are a clear sign that the heat is being turned up on Klopp and his team to turn things around, and fast.
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