Liverpool have conceded four goals in their opening two games of their 2025-26 season.
Didi Hamann has suggested that Liverpool are struggling to adapt without Trent Alexander-Arnold in their team.
The Reds made a winning start to their Premier League title defence as they earned a 4-2 victory over AFC Bournemouth on the opening day of the 2025-26 season. However, Arne Slot's champions threw away a two-goal lead and were vulnerable to the counter-attack. In addition, Liverpool conceded twice in successive games having lost the Community Shield to Crystal Palace on penalties after a 2-2 draw.
The Reds have had significant changes to their squad that won a 20th English championship in the club's history. Alexander-Arnold was a key player over the past eight years but decided to turn down a new contract and join Real Madrid.
He has been replaced by Jeremie Frimpong, who is a different right-back in terms of styles, while Liverpool signed Milos Kerkez on the left-hand side of defence. And Hamann believes that the Reds are missing the control of Alexander-Arnold in possession.
What’s been said
Speaking on talkSPORT, the former Liverpool midfielder said: "I think if you look at the 90 minutes, I think you never felt they were really in control of the game. This is something I think where they've been really good last season. It was end-to-end stuff. They struggled to create chances over the 90 minutes and also allowed quite a few.
"I think if you don't control games without the ball, it makes it even harder to control it with the ball. I think part of it, or the reason was that defensively, they've been pretty fragile as they've been against Palace.
"Kerkez struggled (in) both games so far. Frimpong, for all his power going forward, his pace, he's not a right-back. I think this is something they have to address because without Trent (Alexander-Arnold) in the team, I think the dynamics in the team will change."
Slot breaks down Bournemouth goals
Speaking on the two goals that Liverpool conceded against Bournemouth, head coach Slot explained: “Normally you can complain about our players not sprinting back hard enough, but they did. The only thing you need to do better – but it's in an ideal world – is where do you lose the ball? The first ball there is something I can say about that, losing the ball with a trick if you're 2-0 up is not necessary, maybe if you're 1-0 down or you really need a goal and you want to force something. But in that moment I think it's not the way to lose the ball like Dominik [Szoboszlai] did.
“The second goal, we are a team that likes to attack. We are a team that wants to score goals. Rest defence was in order the moment we lost the ball, we were two-v-one against their number nine, but instead of what Mo usually does, which is getting a cross in or getting a shot in, he squared it just behind. Then give credit to the other team with how many bodies they sprinted to our 18-yard box. It's fine margins and the best way is to not lose the ball and if you do lose it then lose it with a shot or it ends up in a corner kick or in a goal-kick. Bot do not lose it at your own 18-yard line or where Dominik lost it. But I always judge how hard do they sprint back and in both situations they sprint back really hard. They gave it all but credit to Bournemouth, who are a very, very fit team as well like us, because we managed to come back after the 2-2.”
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