Liverpool's 3-0 defeat against Manchester City on Sunday saw them become the first reigning Premier League champions to concede 17 goals in their first 11 games since the Reds themselves in 2020-21.
The Merseysiders had arrived at the Etihad on the back of two strong performances and two clean sheets, but goals from Erling Haaland, Nico Gonzalez and Jeremy Doku condemned the Reds to a fifth defeat in 11 top-flight matches.
Arne Slot's side are now eighth with 18 points, eight points behind first-placed Arsenal, and four points behind Pep Guardiola's City.
Pundits such as Roy Keane have criticised the club for their poor title defence, singling out the team's defence for their displays at the back.
Having conceded 17 goals, the Reds have become the first reigning champions to concede such an amount after 11 Premier League games since their previous title defence in 2020-21, though seven of those goals in that season came when they lost 7-2 against Aston Villa in October 2020.
Liverpool's Conor Bradley on November 4, 2025
Why have Liverpool fallen behind Arsenal and Manchester City?
It has become increasingly difficult to compete in the Premier League without significant physicality within the starting XI, with Arsenal highlighting the importance of winning duels.
Dominik Szoboszlai, Ryan Gravenberch and Alexis Mac Allister won a combined five duels out of 22 against Guardiola's side, and they struggled to battle City's central overloads all afternoon.
The team's issues do not stem entirely from their midfield given the Reds' frontline have pressed poorly all season, with Florian Wirtz, Cody Gakpo, Hugo Ekitike and Mohamed Salah often proving ineffective from the front.
Trent Alexander-Arnold's departure to Real Madrid has also damaged the side's ability to play out from the back, especially as Virgil van Dijk is the only player in defence comfortable with the ball when under pressure.
Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk speaking to referee Chris Kavanagh on August 31, 2025
Can Liverpool get back in the Premier League title race?
If Liverpool were to win every single game from now until the end of the season, they would end the campaign with 99 points, just 15 more than they totalled in the entirety of 2024-25.
The Reds will play 19th-placed Nottingham Forest, 18th-placed West Ham United, fourth-placed Sunderland and 16th-placed Leeds United in their next four Premier League matches, and they must collect maximum points if they have any ambition of getting back in contention for the title.
Mikel Arteta's Arsenal will face Tottenham Hotspur, Chelsea, Brentford and Aston Villa in their next four, and it would not be surprising if they failed to win at least one of those matches.
However, Liverpool have not shown they can be consistent enough to take advantage of any mistakes from the Gunners, and they may have to wait until January to address some of the problems in their team.
ID:585477:1false2false3false: from db desktop :LenBod:collect5878: