The final week of the transfer window will continue to be dominated by headlines regarding Liverpool and Alexander Isak, but there appear bigger issues to solve further back on the pitch.
Arne Slot has made it known that he wants at least one more attacker through the door before the transfer window closes on September 1.
There are clear vacancies in his forward ranks, with the sales of Darwin Nunez and Luis Diaz and the sad passing of Diogo Jota leaving Mohamed Salah, Cody Gakpo, Hugo Ekitike and Federico Chiesa as Slot’s only senior options.
But having scored six goals in their opening two games of the season – two against Crystal Palace in the Community Shield and four against Bournemouth in the Premier League – there will be a confidence in Liverpool’s ability to create and convert chances.
More of a concern, after a busy pre-season and these early weeks of the campaign proper, are the gaps in Slot’s new defensive setup.
Gaps in the setup
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - Friday, August 15, 2025: Liverpool's head coach Arne Slot with his head in hands during the FA Premier League match between Liverpool FC and AFC Bournemouth at Anfield. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
That was no more evident than in the eventual 4-2 win over Bournemouth at Anfield, during which Liverpool were twice exploited on the break as Antoine Semenyo capitalised on costly turnovers in the defensive and middle thirds of the pitch.
While Alan Shearer was derided for blaming Milos Kerkez for Semenyo’s first goal despite the Hungarian having already been substituted by then, one of the teething problems Slot’s new Liverpool are facing is a significant change at full-back.
Both Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong are naturally attacking, and though the former has been more withdrawn than expected and the latter is more defensively accomplished than he is given credit for, their qualities are vastly different to Andy Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold respectively.
August 15, 2025: Milos Kerkez tackling Bournemouth’s Adam Smith. (PA)
Slot praised Kerkez’s all-or-nothing approach to duels after the win over Bournemouth, but he also conceded that the 21-year-old had to be taken off as he was at risk of picking up a second booking as he threw himself into challenges.
Meanwhile Frimpong’s blistering pace allows him to recover much quicker than when Alexander-Arnold went forward, but it still requires his centre-back and defensive midfielder to be inch-perfect on the turnover.
Even when they were off the pitch against Bournemouth the same issues arose, with Liverpool over-committing despite already being in the lead and therefore leaving themselves exposed at the back.
Exploited on the counter
When Dominik Szoboszlai gave possession away allowing Bournemouth to break for Semenyo’s first goal, he was one of six players on the wrong side of the ball – including Frimpong’s replacement Wataru Endo.
Alexis Mac Allister – the deepest midfielder – was easily bypassed and Konate was unable to keep up with David Brooks, who played a first-time ball across the box for Semenyo – an unfair match for Robertson when it comes to pace – to tap in.
The same applied when Mohamed Salah‘s pass ran ahead of Szoboszlai to spark Bournemouth‘s counter for their equaliser.
This time, there were eight players including both Robertson and now right-back Joe Gomez all on the wrong side and unable to recover.
Per statistician Andrew Beasley, Liverpool have already conceded as many league goals to Opta-defined fast breaks this season as they did in the entirety of last season (two).
Semenyo produced an outstanding performance at Anfield and the less said about Konate and Virgil van Dijk‘s positional work for his second goal the better, but the Ghanaian was enabled by Liverpool exposing themselves.
Van Dijk was also at fault for Ismaila Sarr’s 2-2 equaliser for Crystal Palace in the Community Shield, stepping out of defence to allow the winger space between him and Kerkez, and the freedom to finish.
Gravenberch and a growing familiarity
LONDON, ENGLAND - Sunday, August 10, 2025: Liverpool's captain Virgil van Dijk and Jeremie Frimpong during the FA Community Shield match between Crystal Palace FC and Liverpool FC at Wembley Stadium. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
There are clearly mitigating factors, of course, not least the new relationships building at the back between centre-backs and full-backs.
“Everybody’s said how good our team is becoming with new players coming in, but nobody talks about the challenge that this is,” Alisson, who watched the disarray unfold in front of him, told NBC Sports after the win over Bournemouth.
“It is a big challenge.”
The same can be applied to the new dynamics in midfield, with Florian Wirtz best used as a natural No. 10 and therefore Szoboszlai’s role being tweaked as part of a two-man pivot.
In those goals against Bournemouth the rotation between Wirtz and Szoboszlai left Slot’s deepest midfielder at the time unable to fill the space as Semenyo and Co. countered.
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - Monday, August 4, 2025: Liverpool's Ryan Gravenberch during a pre-season friendly match between Liverpool FC and Athletic Bilbao at Anfield. Liverpool won 3-2. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
A key point to note is that Ryan Gravenberch was not available for either of the first two games of the season and the system has become reliant on his ability to not only break up attacks but also to break the lines as a No. 6.
“If he’s the same player as he was last season, that could help us a lot,” Slot explained in his pre-Newcastle press conference, ahead of Gravenberch’s return from suspension.
“If we simply look at the second goal we conceded, they could just go from one 18-yard box to the other side without being attacked – which was smart, because Virgil and Ibou needed to go in a four-vs-two situation.
“But I think if you look back at last season and every single time that he played, Ryan would have been in that position.
“For him not being there, and us playing with very good but very attack-minded players, that hurt us in that goal.
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - Friday, August 15, 2025: Liverpool players look dejected after conceeding the second equalising goal during the FA Premier League match between Liverpool FC and AFC Bournemouth at Anfield. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
“And it wasn’t the first time we lacked a player in that position in a counter-attack for the other team.
“So, if he brings his normal level, it would definitely help us to have him back again.”
The same could be said of Conor Bradley, who at the very least would be provided a more suitable alternative to Frimpong than Endo and Gomez, but is currently sidelined through injury.
This will only be magnified now as a new issue for Frimpong leaves Slot considering either Endo or Szoboszlai as a makeshift right-back for the trip to St James’ Park.
Slot knows he has work to do
LONDON, ENGLAND - Sunday, August 10, 2025: Liverpool’s head coach Arne Slot shakes hands with Florian Wirtz after the FA Community Shield match between Crystal Palace FC and Liverpool FC at Wembley Stadium. Palace won 3-1 on penalties after a 2-2 draw. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
Despite the majority of Slot’s senior squad being present it was a far-from-ideal pre-season for Liverpool and the immeasurable toll of grief cannot be overlooked in their performances.
Furthermore, their efforts to sign Palace captain Marc Guehi – an ideal centre-back for defending high and over big spaces – show that this system is very much a work-in-progress.
And it is clear that there are tweaks to be made to avoid those holes in the setup becoming a common theme throughout their title defence.
“We were at moments too open,” Slot conceded.
“The first goal was mainly unlucky that we lost the ball in a position we shouldn’t lose it, and we were three against three which is normally not a problem, but Ibou and Robbo were at a disadvantage to our opponents.
“The second goal is definitely being too open. So if all your three midfielders are inside the box, that’s too open.
“So I agree on that, but also the reason why we scored for 3-2 is because one of our midfielders, Curtis Jones, arrived in the box which made it difficult for the goalkeeper.
“So it’s also who we are, but we need to find the right balance by not being too open. That balance will be better with Ryan.
“With Macca being back, with Ryan in his normal position, I expect us to be even better prepared for the counter-attack than we were in this 2-2 moment.”
That commitment to attractive attacking football should be lauded – it made Slot’s debut campaign such an enjoyable watch and obviously ended with silverware – but these early flaws should serve as a warning if Liverpool intend to challenge for more silverware.