How can Arne Slot fix Liverpool?

Liverpool are well-placed in the Premier League, but have clear issues to solve when they return from the international break.

Photo: IMAGO | Anfield Index

It might seem slightly unfair for Liverpool to be engulfed by crisis talk heading into an international break in which they sit second in the Premier League, just one point off top spot.

But you can bet that Arne Slot won’t be ignoring the issues his team have faced so far this season, even if results somewhat masked them at the very start.

So, what are the biggest problems the Dutchman needs to fix by the time league action resumes against Manchester United at Anfield on October 19?

Defending as a collective

Make no mistake, Liverpool haven’t been unlucky to end up with the 10th best defensive record (nine conceded) in the Premier League so far this season.

Their 7.9 expected goals against are roughly in line with that figure, and in giving up 1.1xG per game they have declined significantly from last season.

Up until the 34th game of the 2024-25 campaign - when the title was won and there was little left to play for - the Reds were conceding just 0.85xG per fixture on average.

Now Ibrahima Konate’s contract situation means many are happy to lay the blame solely at his door, but it is clear that Slot’s side are exposing their centre-backs by defending poorly from the front.

Take a look at this example against Galatasaray, when a long ball forward into midfield not only finds a spare man…

But also allows him the time and space to turn and play a throughball in behind the full-back that almost results in an early goal.

A press that was once finely tuned has fallen apart, and while the addition of several new players is obvious mitigation, Slot needs to fix it quickly.

Unsettled starting XI

Of course, perhaps the easiest way to alleviate this issue would be to find some consistency of selection.

Slot went into this season determined to rotate more in order to avoid the late-campaign burnout that arguably cost his team a Champions League shot.

However, sticking to that principle while so many are finding their feet has proven counterproductive.

Interestingly, Slot has made eight changes to his starting XI in the Premier so far this season, exactly the same as his first in change.

Yet he is constantly tinkering in games and it still feels like he doesn’t know who is his first-choice right-back, what his best midfield looks like, or even his best attack.

No wonder these players aren’t defending as one, or in fact attacking particularly well as a unit, either.

Get finishing back on track

Liverpool are the third top scorers in the Premier League with 13 and have managed that from just 10.9xG, so you might not think finishing is an issue for this team.

But it certainly has been over the recent run of three consecutive defeats, which saw 5.7xG bring them just two goals.

Incredibly, the opposition have also generated 5.7xG across those games, and scored five goals themselves, showing how important it is to put your chances away.

Getting Alexander Isak up to full sharpness and getting both Mohamed Salah and Cody Gakpo back into form will be key to deciding if this is possible.

Find a way through build-up issues

The forwards might also be helped were they not clearly struggling to get the ball, as has often been the case so far this season.

It is easy enough to blame the loss of Trent Alexander-Arnold, or the failure to sign Marc Guehi, but the reality is that there aren’t many teams out there with two world-class ball-players at centre-half, and only Real Madrid have Trent.

As such, everyone else has to get creative with their rotations, and Liverpool evidenced they are capable of this in scoring a goal against Everton that started with Ryan Gravenberch here…