Cast your minds back to October 27, 2024.
- Published prior to deadline day
It was the ninth game of the season for Liverpool in the Premier League and the Reds made the trip to the Emirates to face title rivals Arsenal.
Bukayo Saka put Andrew Robertson on his backside in the ninth minute and smashed an effort past Caoimhin Kelleher, starting in place of the injured Alisson Becker.
What was so important about that goal? Well, not much in the grand scheme of things. However, it was the fourth goal they’d conceded in the English top-flight.
It had taken until the end of October for the Reds to be breached on four occasions.
Fast forward to this season and Arne Slot’s men have conceded four goals in two outings. That is quite the drop-off. Liverpool kicked off their 2024/25 campaign with three consecutive clean sheets and four in five.
Right now, they’re one of seven teams in the Premier League without a clean sheet to their name despite being one of just three teams with a 100% record.
The underlying numbers aren’t great either. The Reds have given up opportunities worth 2.7 expected goals against (xGA), only eight teams have a higher xGA after two matches.
Granted, it isn’t the largest sample size but if you extrapolate their xGA per 90 of 1.35 across an entire campaign, they’re on target to finish with an xGA of 51.3 Last season, that figure was 38.7 and only Arsenal could better it.
It’s too early to make any predictions like that, but it’s safe to say Liverpool aren’t anywhere near as resolute defensively as they were during their 2024/25 title success.
In some ways, this was to be expected. Slot is bedding in four new first-teamers, for starters.
Milos Kerkez replaced Robertson in the starting XI at left-back, Jeremie Frimpong replaced Trent Alexander-Arnold at right-back,
Hugo Ekitike now leads the line in place of Luis Diaz and Darwin Nunez while the arrival of Florian Wirtz has relegated Dominik Szoboszlai to the role of utility player.
On top of all of that upheaval, there have been a lot of injuries to contend with.
Alexis Mac Allister and Joe Gomez missed most of pre-season. Conor Bradley picked up a knock and missed the first game of the season against Bournemouth.
Frimpong sustained a hamstring injury in the win over the Cherries and then Mac Allister missed the trip to St James’ Park, with Slot giving an update on the Argentine World Cup winner in his post-match press conference.
“He had to leave the training pitch two days ago and that would not even be the biggest problem if he would have had a proper pre-season, but he missed out for so many weeks. With such a long season to go, it was too much of a risk for me but I am hoping, hoping things in the upcoming one or two days so that he is available for Sunday.”
So Liverpool went into their game against Bournemouth with two new faces in defence, a new-look attack and Szoboszlai playing in a deeper position in place of the suspended Ryan Gravenberch.
Their XI for Newcastle had their No8 at right-back and a changed double pivot from their game against Andoni Iraola’s side, made up of Gravenberch and Curtis Jones.
It’s little wonder there’s been no consistency. It’s no surprise they aren’t looking anywhere near as defensively dominant.
And while these can be seen as reasons for the defensive chaos. They don’t excuse everything we’ve seen this season.
Kerkez, for example, was beaten far too easily by Bruno GuimarĂŁes at the backpost for the Newcastle opener while Ibrahima Konate, not for the first time this season, seemed to get caught out prior to the Magpies equalising.
Could there be a twist in the tale? đź‘€
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) August 25, 2025
Down to ten, but Bruno Guimaraes pulls one back for the Magpies! pic.twitter.com/Hnv6bDFL7N
Roberson was caught on his heels for the Bournemouth opener, not that he could do much against the pace of Antoine Semenyo. Konate, again, didn’t cover himself in much glory for the equaliser, allowing Semenyo to drive with the ball before ending up on his backside as the ball arrowed past Alisson.
The Frenchman continues to be a bit of a worry.
Out of contract in 12 months time, his head appears to have already been turned if his form is anything to go by. Early last season, he was rivalling Virgil van Dijk for the best defender in the Premier League tag.
Now he’s in the XI purely because Liverpool don’t have any other options right now.
Gomez is only just back from injury and can’t be rushed into anything while Giovanni Leoni, though highly rated, isn’t going to be thrown in at the deep end. He’s a long-term signing. He’ll be managed properly.
The scramble, right now, is for Alexander Isak. However, the Reds should be prioritising a senior centre-back.
Marc Guehi appears to be the chosen one but reports suggest Liverpool are prepared to sign him on a free next summer. If they have title aspirations, that deal needs to happen before the transfer window closes.
Without his arrival, the title challenge could be a house of cards.
After all, attack wins you games, defence wins you titles.
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