Liverpool beat Crystal Palace 2-1 for the first time since autumn 2021 to go top of the Premier League after Arsenal lost 1-0 to Aston Villa. As we approach the halfway point of the season, it’s safe to say that the Reds are firmly in title contention, but there are some concerns. Jurgen Klopp sent forward Alexis McAllister as the perfect solution, backing him up with the $21m (£16m/€19m) signing of Wataru Endo. Thiago and Stefan Baijetic could also play there, but neither has played the whole season so far.
After Joel Matip suffered a season-ending ACL injury last week, some fans fear Liverpool will be without a decisive move at centre-back in the January transfer window. Ibrahima Konate has been injured twice this season and the Reds may use the impressive but inexperienced Jarrell Kwanza more than expected. Overall, we question whether Liverpool’s current form is sustainable given their recent lack of wins. Is this a performance car or an unfortunate outfit with flaws?
And there’s another problem Liverpool haven’t solved yet. Mohamed Salah will miss an as yet undisclosed number of Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) matches against Egypt. It is unclear whether he will play in the FA Cup third round against Arsenal a week before the AFCON group stage begins, but we are confident he will miss the trip to Bournemouth in the Premier League. There is no need to worry about the Europa League play-offs as Liverpool are already top of their group going into the last matchday and the winter break is also the perfect time for Klopp.
However, Salah could miss up to 10 games in the region depending on the timing of his release and Liverpool’s domestic cup success (he will miss both Carabao Cup semi-finals next week when the Reds play Westham in the west). Of course, Egypt At this stage, the team’s other strikers need to step up, but none of them are in good form at the moment. Darwin Nunes has gone scoreless in his last eight games, Luis Diaz has three goals in his last 17 games and Cody Gakpo has been slightly better with three goals in 11 games (despite making just five starts). In total, three strikers not named Mohamed Salah have scored just six goals and provided four assists in their last 26 games.
Diogo Jota’s return to training after recovering last week will also be a factor and his eight goals in 16 games this season suggest he will play a crucial role at this stage. But Nunes and Diaz have clear challenges to improve in the coming weeks. Klopp hopes other options will materialize ahead of the tournament, allaying concerns over Salah’s absence. Liverpool could come up short if they continue to struggle. At first glance, it seems that the attacking team’s physical strength is not good, with only Man City (38) scoring more goals in the league (36). But what if we ignore the people who scored or scored half of those goals? This looks set to be one of the challenges that will define Liverpool’s season.
The most talked about position is number 6. Liverpool let Fabinho, once one of the best players in the region, leave in the summer and failed to sign a big transfer deal.
will have to play four games to progress to the fifth round of the FA Cup. He is likely to miss the league games against Chelsea (January 31) and Arsenal (February 3). Liverpool’s top scorer Mohamed Salah is set to travel to the AFCON in January.
In Salah, Liverpool not only lose their top scorer (six of 14) but also their top assist (seven), so they have two holes to fill up front.
