Man City 3-0 Liverpool: Match Review
The former Celtic and Aston Villa striker discussed Liverpool’s woes as they sit eight points behind leaders Arsenal in the Premier League.
Chris Sutton believes that Liverpool’s summer squad overhaul is a reason for their Premier League title defence effectively being over by November.
The Reds won the English championship for a 20th time in the club’s history in Arne Slot’s maiden season as head coach last term. After replacing Jurgen Klopp in the Anfield hot seat, Slot signed just one player, Federico Chiesa, as Liverpool comfortably were crowned champions.
However, there was a significant change to the roster. Around £450 million was spent to sign Alexander Isak, Florian Wirtz, Hugo Ekitike, Milos Kerkez, Jeremie Frimpong, Giorgi Mamardashvili and Giovanni Leoni. Meanwhile, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Luis Diaz, Darwin Nunez, Jarell Quansah and Harvey Elliott departed.
But the sweeping remodelling of the squad has not paid dividends so far. Liverpool have lost five of their past six Premier League games following a 3-0 defeat by Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium. It leaves the Reds eight points behind leaders Arsenal.
What’s been said
And Sutton, speaking on the Monday Night Club, reckons that the transfer decisions have backfired and reckons that Slot has now ‘lost faith’ in Kerkez after restoring Andy Robertson to left-back. The Premier League-winning former striker said: “When you spend what Liverpool have spent, bring these new players in and they don't hit the ground running, it's a problem. Arne Slot hung his hat on Kerkez at the start of the season, Robertson was out in the cold and all of a sudden, I think he has lost faith in Kerkez.
“I find the right-back situation, I have mentioned the signing of Frimpong and been told and educated they have signed a right-winger instead. Alexander Isak, him sulking around at Newcastle hasn't helped the situation. Ekitike has done all right but is a victim that players around him are struggling for confidence and Wirtz hasn't kicked a ball and is really struggling.
“In many respects, I think Liverpool would have been starting Gakpo on that right-hand side. The way Wirtz is playing, he doesn't seem to have that instinct or connections with players around him. He's possibly trying too hard and trying to force things but is hesistant. Maybe he's feeling the price tag and weight of that and Salah, you had last season with the waiting game of trying to get the contract over the line and it's just a different Mo Salah.
“You put all of those things together and it's been a disastrous start, I don't care what anyone says. To lose more games this season than last season and to leak goals - 26 goals in 18 games when it was 11 in all competitions at the same stage last season - is a massive drop off. The goalkeeper Mamardasvhili has done all right but is he Alisson? No, he's not.”
‘Konate is having a stinker’
Sutton also criticised the form of Ibrahima Konate. The centre-back has started every league game so far but his performances have not met the standards that he set last season. Sutton added: “They are miles off where they were last season. They went through so many games where you didn't think they were going to concede. Konate, with the greatest will in the world, is having an absolute stinker this season.
“The penalty award (when Jeremy Doku won a penalty for Man City against Liverpool), Konate has just got to clean that out, it's been all season. You look back to when they wanted to sign Marc Guehi but didn't get that over the line, I know Joe Gomez is there but he's persisting with players who simply need to come out of the team and have a break.”
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