With seven straight victories, Liverpool threatened to sweep them all before them, but subsequent defeats highlight pressing issues that Arne Slot must address.
The Reds made the trip to Galatasaray on Tuesday, looking to recover from their 2-1 defeat at Crystal Palace over the weekend, which ended their perfect Premier League record.
Despite dominating possession and having 16 shots in Istanbul, a Victor Osimhen penalty gave the home side the lead, but Liverpool were unable to respond.
Slot should not be alarmed because Liverpool still leads the Premier League by two points and won their first match in the Champions League division.
Osimhen On Target As Liverpool Fight To Lose In The Champions League At Galatasaray
However, a number of dramatic late winners have come under scrutiny for unconvincing performances since Slot’s first managerial position in charge of the club since Jurgen Klopp’s replacement, an expensive rebuild of the squad, which won the Premier League last year.
As Liverpool attempted to develop from a strength-based foundation, the club uncharacteristically spent close to £450 million ($606 million) on new signings.
Florian Wirtz hasn’t yet scored or even contributed to a goal in the Premier League or Champions League since joining Bayer Leverkusen for £116 million.
Alexander Isak, a record-breaking signing for the club after a drawn-out transfer from Newcastle, is still not fully fit.
Hugo Ekitike has scored three Premier League goals for Liverpool so far, but he was not with them when they lost to Crystal Palace after receiving a red card in their League Cup win against Southampton. He is arguably the only newcomer to do so.
Wirtz, who has earned praise as one of the most promising players in world football, has been the main subject of attention at Anfield.
However, former England captain Wayne Rooney has questioned where the German fits into, claiming on his BBC show that his actions “damage the balance of Liverpool and how they play.”
Jamie Carragher, a former Liverpool defender, says Wirtz needs to be let out of the firing line because he believes the team’s balance is wrong.
He told CBS Sports, “He’s just not at the races at all.” He has plenty of time to play for Liverpool because he is a young boy entering a new league.
However, I believe he needs to leave the team right away, and Liverpool needs to return to where they were last season, and proceed accordingly.
“Because it’s a mess right now. Not the losses, but the victories are not the losses. This has been happening since day one.
Mohamed Salah’s form has declined in addition to the attack’s issues, compounding the issues from his stellar season so far. The Egyptian was eliminated from Turkey’s starting lineup.
defensive issues
Ibrahima Konate, a French centre-back, has received harsh criticism for his performance against Palace, making Liverpool look vulnerable in defense.
After missing out on signing Palace’s Marc Guehi on the transfer deadline day, the club has few options in central defense with Virgil van Dijk as captain.
Giovanni Leoni, 18, who has been signed as an Italian defender, suffered a knee injury last week that will keep him out for a year, giving Slot an additional headache, while Joe Gomez has been a distant player thus far.
After years of excellent service from Andy Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold, Liverpool are now accustomed to a new pair of full-backs.
Jeremie Frimpong has been replaced by Alexander-Arnold at right-back by Slot, and Milos Kerkez has been preferred over Andy Robertson, who is a veteran left-back.
The Dutch manager criticized Frimpong  for his positioning in the late Selhurst Park defeat, and he played as a winger in Turkey.
Alisson Becker, a renowned goalkeeper, will miss Saturday’s difficult trip to Chelsea due to an injury sustained in Istanbul while Ekitike is recovering from a limp.
It would be absurd to suggest Liverpool are in crisis after such a brief blip, according to Van Dijk, and Van Dijk said “there shouldn’t be panic.”
Slot’s first significant challenge on the pitch since arriving at Anfield is undoubtedly one to consider.
Source: Channels TV
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