Liverpool boss Arne Slot is facing a crisis after a humbling 2-1 defeat to Manchester United at home and here’s all the latest news from Anfield
Liverpool are in crisis after suffering an embarrassing 2-1 defeat to Manchester United at home – their fourth straight loss in a row in all competitions.
A dismal performance at Anfield saw the champions lose a third Premier League game on the bounce as manager Arne Slot faces the first major challenge of his time in England. Goals from Bryan Mbeumo and Harry Maguire saw United triumph over their bitter rivals, while Cody Gakpo netted for the Reds.
It follows a huge summer spending spree as Slot ripped up the team that won the title and shelled out a whopping £446m on players such as Florian Wirtz, Alexander Isak, Milos Kerkez, Jeremie Frimpong, Giovanni Leoni and Hugo Ekitike. However, balancing such an array of talents and finding the right mix can take time, as evidenced by the Reds’ inconsistent performances.
Next up is a trip away to Eintracht Frankfurt in the Champions League. Here’s all the latest news from Anfield.
Liverpool fans are divided over the departure of Darwin Nunez. To some, he’s the one that slipped through their fingers; to others, he never quite found his place.
In 143 appearances for the Reds, the forward netted 40 goals and provided 26 assists. However, this doesn’t paint the full picture. The Anfield faithful were often frustrated by Nunez’s tendency to drift offside and his frequent squandering of golden opportunities.
That being said, now plying his trade in Saudi Arabia for Simone Inzaghi’s Al Hilal, Nunez has made five appearances, scoring four goals and assisting two.
After a minor knee injury, Nunez returned with a vengeance against Al-Ettifaq on Saturday, bagging two goals and an assist, reports the Mirror.
Nunez’s goal-scoring prowess could come back to bite Slot, with only Ekitike currently delivering in the Dutchman’s pricey frontline.
Wirtz backed to shine
Wirtz has had a challenging start at Liverpool. Laden with high expectations, the £116m star formerly of Bayer Leverkusen has struggled to find his rhythm in Slot’s system for most of this season.
However, Wirtz has offered glimpses of the talent that marked him out as one of Europe’s most promising prospects. One such instance was during Liverpool’s 2-1 loss to Chelsea before the international break.
The German executed a breathtaking flick upon collecting the ball within Chelsea’s penalty area, setting up Mohamed Salah who squandered the opportunity.
This spectacular display of technique impressed former Tottenham Hotspur forward Darren Bent, who reckons Wirtz will flourish at the Reds, provided he and his teammates can establish better understanding on the field.
“I promise you now, if you watch him play, you go on. Right. He does things and I go, ‘Oh my goodness,” Bent told talkSPORT.
“But other people around him aren’t on the same wavelength. Like his touch at the end of that Chelsea game was mind-blowing. But then I think it was Salah’s bad touch that let them down. But I think Wirtz is so clever.”
Liverpool academy product Owen Beck is suffering a torrid spell while on loan at Derby County this campaign. The 23-year-old full-back has been farmed out on multiple occasions in recent seasons.
He shone at Dundee United before excelling at Blackburn Rovers last term under boss John Eustace. Eustace was so impressed with the defender that upon his appointment at Derby, he made certain to bring Beck in on another temporary deal.
However, fitness problems have hampered Beck this campaign and Eustace has now revealed Beck’s “tough” recent months. “It’s a really difficult moment for Owen,” Eustace told Derbyshire Live.
“He’s not back with the group as such, and it’s been a really frustrating time for him and for us. But we’ve got to get him in the right mindset and in the right state of fitness before he can actually come in and train every day and be part of the group.
“He’s doing well and he’s heading in the right direction. It’s a bit slower than what we wanted, but when he’s back, I know we’ve got a great player to help join the squad. That’s key.”
Beck’s future at Anfield is far from certain. His inability to displace Andy Robertson from the left-back spot in recent seasons, coupled with the arrival of Kerkez from Bournemouth this season, suggests Beck might be leaving the Reds sooner rather than later.
