Liverpool aren’t doing so well this season. Last year’s indomitable air is a far cry from the tepid and toothless performances of the new campaign, with five defeats inflicted on Arne Slot’s side from six recent Premier League matches.
There is no way to sugarcoat it: that is so far below Anfield’s expectations that it beggars belief. Slot was so pained last season by that sole home defeat to Nottingham Forest, so frustrated by that stain on his copybook, even against the backdrop of a title-winning campaign.
But so many losses have become the norm for Liverpool this season, whose title defence is in tatters and whose focus is currently on establishing enough form and focus to recover a place in the Premier League’s top four.
Slot has got a lot to chew on before the November international break winds up and Liverpool host Forest in the top flight, a game they simply cannot afford to lose – again.
Aside from the lack of intensity and physicality in key areas and fragilities in defence, Liverpool’s widths have been well out of sorts this season, and this is something that needs fixing quickly.
Liverpool's struggles out wide
Mohamed Salah’s startling drop-off this season has been among the biggest concerns for Liverpool, but the Egyptian King has done it all before, and he will surely recover his potency in front of goal before his £400k-per-week contract expires in 2027.
More concerning, perhaps, is the form of Florian Wirtz, who joined from Bayer Leverkusen for £116m this summer but has yet to prove FSG have got bang for their buck.
The 22-year-old is clearly an incredible talent, but it hasn’t happened so far, with Liverpool’s wider tactical imbalances making it difficult for the playmaker to find a secure place in Slot’s line-up, flitting between the left flank and a creative berth from the centre.
Likewise, Cody Gakpo has struggled to impress. The left-sided forward has four goals and three assists across all competitions this term, but he’s lacked nuance in his expression.
It’s proving a tough ask for Slot to find a solution that will synergise this struggling frontline and restore Liverpool to their former level.
However, one Redman has enjoyed quite the impressive display for his nation in a World Cup qualifier this week, and in a position which could reshape his role at Liverpool over the coming months.
Slot may have his left wing solution
So much has gone wrong at Liverpool this season, but the form of Hugo Ekitike since joining from Eintracht Frankfurt for an initial £69m this summer cannot be counted among the negatives.
Ekitike is a striker, and was signed as such, but he played out on the left wing for France on Thursday evening as Didier Deschamps’ side defeated Ukraine 4-0 in their penultimate World Cup qualifier, with reporter Bence Bocsak praising his “very impressive” effort, having earlier noted that the star’s slickness and skill on the ball “reminds me of Bobby Firmino”.
Could it be that Liverpool have their left wing solution right here? This is hardly revelatory, but the dynamic forward has proved he has what it takes to produce a show-stopping performance from out wide here, and there’s a case to be made that he offers more than Gakpo does when in the role.
Indeed, were Ekitike to play from the left with regularity, it would only impede Gakpo in his hopes of stringing many minutes together across the season and beyond, especially as he will be competing with Wirtz.
But the one-time PSG prospect’s display demonstrated his potential in the position, a menace throughout after coming off the bench in the first half due to an injury to Bradley Barcola.
It was a spectacular goal, the 23-year-old collecting and driving forward from inside his own half, skating past defenders and entering the danger area before playing a neat connection with Kylian Mbappe and then striking true.
Minutes played
67′
Goals
1
Touches
22
Shots (on target)
4 (2)
Accurate passes
6/9 (67%)
Unsuccessful touches
3
Dribbles
2/2
Recoveries
1
Ground duels
4/5
Ekitike might not have enjoyed much success by way of passing, but he demonstrated how effective he can be with limited opportunities in possession. Not only accurate when carrying the ball forward, but he was fierce in the duel and clinical besides.
This economical approach showed something that has been lacking on Merseyside this season: an ability to make chances count even when presented intermittently.
That is, of course, barring one Liverpool forward. Ekitike. The Les Bleus star has scored six goals and posted an assist since joining the club this summer.
Development is never linear for those entering the Premier League from overseas, but the way in which Ekitike has slipped into life in Liverpool is remarkable, given the circumstances around the club right now.
Should Slot take note of the striker’s performance against Ukraine and begin to hand him more chances out wide, it could help Isak settle in after his record-breaking summer move while easing the fears that Isak and Ekitke cannot cohabit in Liverpool’s starting line-up.
Slot has already followed this train of thought, suggesting several weeks ago that Ekitike’s technical and physical qualities make him apt for a prolific role on the flank, and now it can be put into practice, albeit at Gakpo’s expense.
Without question, Liverpool’s head coach will have been attentive to Ekitike’s performance on the world stage, perhaps more inclined forward to trial Ekitike in a wider role going forward, thus opening the door to a partnership with Isak and a new dimension that could help restore the side’s attacking strength.
If this proves an effective and long-term solution, it may well come at the expense of Gakpo’s stay at Liverpool for the long run, but, as the opening months of the campaign have told us, it is crucial that Slot identifies a way of playing that matches the incredible amount of quality teeming across Anfield.
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