Liverpool’s form in the 2025-26 season so far has been horrendous.
The reigning Premier League champions have been the second-best team in most of the games they’ve played, aside from the very start of the season.
There has been the odd occasion when the Reds have come out on top, such as in their recent wins against Real Madrid and Aston Villa, but in their last game against Manchester City, their vulnerabilities were laid bare once again.
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And, since they’re now eight points adrift of league leaders Arsenal, their hopes of retaining the Premier League title are dwindling, with Robbie Fowler even saying Liverpool are out of the title race.
Alisson celebrating Liverpool's Premier League title win.
Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images
Liverpool’s lack of form has been caused by many things, but now Pat Nevin has highlighted what he thinks should be their main concern at the moment.
Pat Nevin believes Liverpool’s midfield looking ‘sluggish’ is a massive ‘concern’
Arne Slot has had a tough time of it this season, with hardly any of his first-team squad performing to the standards expected of them.
Mohamed Salah’s lack of form is one of the main things to have hindered Liverpool this term, but the Reds shouldn’t need to be as reliant on him as they are.
Others, such as Cody Gakpo and even Hugo Ekitike, should have stepped up to the plate, but instead, they’ve all just crumbled.
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Despite all of these being major problems that Liverpool have to face, Nevin believes the fact that Slot’s midfield looked ‘sluggish’ against Man City should be their main “concern.”
“Everyone is looking for the cause of the problem. Certainly the planned revolution rather than evolution of the squad by Arne Slot this summer, has unsettled the group,” he said to BBC Sport.
“Mohamed Salah is not getting them out of the holes the way he has regularly done in the past either, his four league goals so far is a respectable return but not his usual super-human level.
“But it is the way their midfield has been made to look sluggish and lumbering that is a concern.
“That is not who they are – they are young and vibrant. Slot has to make sure the display we witnessed in the first 45 minutes at Manchester City does not recur.”
Liverpool must use the international break to recoup and get back to their best
As mentioned, Liverpool have already proven once or twice this season that they can perform to the standards expected of them.
Their 1-0 win against Real Madrid and their 2-0 victory over Aston Villa are a testament to that.
However, one of their main problems seems to be figuring out how to keep things consistent and ensuring that their standards don’t drop.
A dejected Arne Slot manager / head coach of Liverpool during the Premier League match between Manchester City and Liverpool at Etihad Stadium
Photo by Robbie Jay Barratt – AMA/Getty Images
Salah, Ibrahima Konate and Jeremie Frimpong are just some of the Reds’ worst-performing players this season, but if Slot can figure out how to get them back to their best soon, he’ll have a world-class team at his disposal.
Each player that Liverpool signed in the summer is extremely talented, and once they eventually click, there’s going to be no stopping them.
November’s international break could be a good time for Liverpool to figure out where and what they need to improve so that by the time they return, they’ll be able to fight for the Premier League title once again.