Liverpool did what champions do best against Newcastle United and took all three points but Arne Slot will also have taken stock of his team selection for the Arsenal game (August 31).
Rio Ngumoha came off the bench and the 16-year-old netted a dramatic 90+10th-minute winner against the ten-man Magpies, who were much the better side throughout. Somehow Slot's troops claimed victory, and while that should be celebrated, he knew his players needed to improve.
Next up for the defending champions is the visit of last season's runners-up Arsenal, with the two sides already sitting at the top of the table along with Tottenham Hotspur. Mikel Arteta's Gunners impressed in a 5-0 win over Leeds United, and their attack will likely only cause Slot's defence more problems.
Arne Slot Should Wield The Axe
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Arsenal dominated against newly-promoted Leeds, and they aren't dealing with a wantaway striker crisis like Newcastle. Instead, they have Viktor Gyokeres to call upon, last year's European top scorer, who netted his first goal for the club last weekend.
Bukayo Saka was also a threat with his pace, although he's set to be sidelined for the next few weeks due to a hamstring injury. But the North Londoners have strength in depth and could turn to Noni Madueke, who is a nuisance with his agility.
That's why Slot may have been handed a headache ahead of the clash with Arteta's league leaders as Milos Kerkez was disastrous against Newcastle. The Hungarian, handed a 5/10 rating, struggled up against Anthony Elanga and was easily outmuscled by Bruno Guimaraes for the Brazilian's header to make it 2-1.
milos kerkez liverpool
Kerkez arrived at Anfield earlier this summer from Bournemouth in a £40m deal after a superb past season. But his displays so far have left much to be admired, showing inadequate physicality in a backline boasting Ibrahima Konate and Virgil van Dijk.
Jamie Carragher Gave a Grim Verdict Of Kerkez's Start
Jamie Carragher
Kerkez's disappointing displays haven't gone unnoticed, and Jamie Carragher was extremely critical of his performance against Newcastle. The Sky Sports pundit said on Monday Night Football: "Kerkez has made a really poor start to his Liverpool career. He found it really difficult against Bournemouth in the first game, he was a little bit nervous."
The 21-year-old is still developing but will need to quickly find his feet at Anfield if he's going to continue being a starter for a team looking to defend their Premier League crown.
Carragher took fault with his failure to deal with Elanga and getting easily beaten to the ball by Guimaraes: "He was up against Elanga today - not easy - but this isn’t enough. You’ve just got to go and head the ball. He’s almost trying to stop the player."
The Liverpool legend added, "That is really, really poor. He’s not the biggest but you’ve got to jump, you’ve got to challenge in that situation."
Kerkez surprisingly did win seven of his nine aerial duels, but not when it mattered most against Guimaraes. He was also wasteful with the ball, failing to find his man with any of his five long ball attempts and the one cross he attempted.
Experienced Andy Robertson Should Be Handed A Start
Andy Robertson
Slot still has Andy Robertson to turn to with years of experience tussling in title races and a track record of keeping some of the Premier League's best attackers quiet. He looks set for a bit-part role this season, but using his know-how in such a high-pressure game could be the way to go against Arsenal.
The 31-year-old is a leader who has become one of the most highly-regarded full-backs in the English game. He isn't fazed by pressure and has even proven to be effective with his creativity.
Robertson certainly wasn't at his best last season, but Kerkez's performances should see Slot try to rotate and take the pressure off the Hungarian. Van Dijk and Konate, the latter of whom has been equally poor, may also feel more comfortable next to their longtime Scottish teammate.