Liverpool will have to sit on their three-match losing streak for almost two weeks due to the international break with some of their stars coming in for damning criticism
Liverpool are in the unfamiliar position of being on a three-match losing streak across all competitions. Despite a stellar start to the season that saw the reigning Premier League champions rattle off seven wins in a row, Arne Slot‘s side have unravelled as of late.
Their first loss of the season came at the hands of Crystal Palace with Eddie Nketiah’s last-minute winner handing the Eagles a thrilling 2-1 victory at Selhurst Park. The disappointed was compounded last week when they fell to a 1-0 defeat to Galatasaray in the Champions League.
With the opportunity to bounce back against Chelsea this past weekend, the Reds were as dismal as they were in their prior two losses as Estevao’s stoppage time strike earned a 2-1 win for the Blues at Stamford Bridge.
Not only is it the first time in Slot’s Liverpool tenure that he’s lost three on the bounce but it’s the first time in his managerial career where he’s had to turn around fortunes following a run of three consecutive defeats.
The criticism towards the Dutchman has been hefty, but some was saved for Mohamed Salah and some of his team-mates as Mirror Football takes a look at all the latest news coming out of Anfield.
READ MORE: Ex-Liverpool star reveals real reason behind exit after Arne Slot strugglesREAD MORE: Wayne Rooney gives clear instruction to new Liverpool players after Chelsea defeat
Salah slammed
The Egyptian great has just three goals to his name in 10 games and has scored just one in-play goal in the Premier League this season – which was in the Reds’ opening-day victory against Bournemouth.
While the lack of end product from the 33-year-old is a cause for concern, it wasn’t where Wayne Rooney focused his criticism on when discussing the two-time league winner. Speaking on ‘The Wayne Rooney Show’, the Manchester United icon accused Salah of leaving his team-mates out to dry against Chelsea.
“I think top players have a bit of an ego, and Mo Salah has been one of the best players in the league for a long time,” the 39-year-old said. “I think the last week has shown something. When it’s going well and you’re scoring goals and winning games, it’s great and the team will put up with that.
“But over the last week, I would question his work ethic. We know he doesn’t always get back and defend as much, but in the Chelsea game his full-back was getting torn apart and he was watching.
“He’s not getting back and helping and players like (Virgil) Van Dijk, and the leaders in the dressing room should be telling him, ‘you need to help out.’ That was a worry – and I think he has looked a bit lost over the last week.”
Conor Bradley ‘reckless’ claim
Despite a summer of mass spending where Liverpool forked out over £450million on new talent, the right-back position has been an issue. Jeremie Frimpong and Conor Bradley have yet to consistently impress when playing, leaving Dominik Szoboszlai to perform in the role at times, and he has done so admirably.
It was the Northern Irishman who started at Stamford Bridge on Sunday but he struggled against Alejandro Garnacho and Marc Cucurella. After picking up a yellow card in the first half, he was taken off by Slot given the danger of picking up a second booking he would have been in.
Ex-Chelsea striker Tony Cascarino lamented the poor form of several Liverpool players when appearing on talkSPORT. He said: “When you look at Liverpool’s performances, there are a lot of players who are not performing to the levels of last season.
“First of all, they are missing performances from Mac Allister and Salah, who are two vital, vital players to the way Liverpool play. I think Konate as well. He’s not playing as well as last season by a long way.”
While insisting that Bradley can succeed at Liverpool, he admitted the full-back has been “reckless” this season. He continued: “Then you’ve had the loss of the two full-backs. Conor Bradley can become a really good player for Liverpool. He’s tenacious, got a lot of speed and is a feisty footballer, but he’s being reckless in his play.”
Milos Kerkez prediction
It isn’t just the right-back position that has suffered problems this season. Despite the reputation of Milos Kerkez arrived at Anfield with following an impressive two-year stint at Bournemouth, the left-back has been a shadow of himself this campaign.
The 21-year-old has been first choice for Slot over Andy Robertson but he’s so far failed to pay back his manager’s faith in him with his lacklustre performances. ESPN‘s Craig Burley predicted that the Scotsman will regain his place back into the starting line-up, claiming Kerkez’s confidence has drastically dipped.
“He’s brought in one of the best left-backs in the Premier League in Kerkez, who’s just lost confidence in his form, and I think he’s about to get dropped for Andy Robertson,” the pundit said. “I think he’s going to have to bring Andy Robertson back into the team. The whole backline is not working right.”
Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
Sky Sports discounted Premier League and EFL package
Sky has slashed the price of its Essential TV and Sky Sports bundle ahead of the 2025/26 season, saving members £192 and offering more than 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more.
Sky will show at least 215 live Premier League games next season, an increase of up to 100 more.
