Liverpool had been deservedly thumped 3-0 away to Man Metropolis of their remaining sport earlier than the November break, prompting extra scrutiny over their £450 million summer time makeover.
Man Metropolis 3-0 Liverpool
Premier League (11) | EtihadNovember 9, 2025
Targets: Haaland 29′, Gonzalez 45+3′, Doku 63′
1. Critical questions over summer time enterprise
We’re not fairly on the stage the place you might be frightened that Liverpool purchased a group of poor gamers in the course of the biggest-spending summer time of their historical past.
However the Reds’ recruitment employees higher hope that the passing of time places their latest enterprise in a greater gentle, or their jobs might be on the road.
An enormous sum of cash was spent to renovate a squad that had gained the Premier League final season and, within the brief time period a minimum of, that solely appears to be like to have made it far, far worse.
It was the case that Liverpool signings hit the bottom working, however solely Hugo Ekitike will be argued to have completed that – and even he was poor right here.
In the meantime, Florian Wirtz put in one other nameless efficiency, Milos Kerkez solely appeared off the bench and Alexander Isak didn’t even depart it attributable to his health points.
Proper now that doesn’t appear to be cash effectively spent, and the outcomes and place within the desk are proof sufficient.
2. Construct-up points rear their head once more
There are some issues a workforce faces that you simply simply know can’t be solved with out dipping into the switch market, and Liverpool’s points in build-up are precisely that.
As soon as once more, developing in opposition to a reliable urgent workforce, the Reds appeared like they’d no thought to progress the ball, as a substitute always funnelling it to a panicked Ibrahima Konate.
Opponents have commonly performed on the Frenchman’s limitations in possession this season, and he now not has Trent Alexander-Arnold alongside him to sort things.
It appears to be like like that would be the case till Arne Slot has one other passer in his again line, whether or not or not it’s at full-back or in truth as a substitute for Konate.
3. Can’t concentrate on onerous luck
You would make a robust case that Liverpool had been barely unfortunate to go in at half-time trailing by two given how the primary half had performed out on the Etihad.
Erling Haaland and Nico Gonzalez’s targets had been each considerably fortuitous, whereas the guests would argue that Virgil van Dijk‘s header from a nook ought to by no means have been dominated out.
However the truth is that you simply depart your self open to falling on the improper facet of the positive margins if you’re a workforce that persistently permits the opposition into harmful areas and infrequently attain them yourselves.
And that’s precisely what Liverpool had been right here and are basically, rendering any arguments or dialogue over what they deserved completely pointless.
4. Liverpool are terrible away from dwelling
Additionally it is telling that so lots of Liverpool’s hard-luck tales to this point this season have come away from dwelling.
Their document on the street for 2025/26 now reads: performed eight, gained three (two of these with the final kick of the sport) and misplaced 5.
And that owes a lot to an incapacity to earn the fitting to play in video games the place you would not have 50,000-plus dwelling supporters inspiring you to snap into challenges.
If the Reds don’t be taught to do the soiled work – or purchase somebody who will – then they may proceed to wrestle in video games away from Anfield.
5. They should take advantage of their coming fixtures
So now a two-week hole to stew on this defeat and hope Liverpool don’t endure additional accidents in the course of the worldwide break.
But when there’s one upside for the Reds it’s that their fixture listing appears to be like a bit of kinder as soon as they return.
Three of the subsequent 4 are at dwelling, the place Slot’s facet are clearly significantly better, and the away sport is a visit to an enhancing however nonetheless struggling West Ham.
Maybe there might be an opportunity to construct up some momentum, although it would certainly solely be price a top-four push relatively than something loftier.
