3 hours ago
3
RAMS PARK, ISTANBUL // A lackluster Liverpool fell to a second successive defeat, this time at the hands of Galatasaray, with Arne Slot's decision to leave Mohamed Salah out of his starting XI backfiring and the Reds looking disjointed in attack.
The Turkish outfit moved in front in the game thanks to an early penalty kick from Victor Osimhen and Liverpool didn't really get going. It all looked a little stuttering and lacking in pace and vigor.
Add in the fact that Alisson Becker and Hugo Ekitike limped off with injuries in the second half and that only compounded another difficult game for Liverpool, who saw a late penalty kick overturned after a VAR review. Here are the four things Liverpool.com spotted as the game unfolded.
Liverpool lethargic
Fireworks were set off at Liverpool's hotel the night before the game and there were fans were inside the stadium hours before kick-off. The whistling when the Liverpool players emerged onto the field to check out the pitch was deafening.
It is hard not to suggest that the atmosphere made an impact on the perfermance, though it shouldn't have knocked Liverpool out of its stride as much as this. In an attacking sense, things looked disjointed, except for a few occasions when Ekitike got the ball.
The Frenchman was linking things up well early on in the game, but should have scored moments before Szoboszlai was deemed to have made enough contact to give away a penalty.
Liverpool is still learning how to play in the new system and it will take time, but it was all a little stuttering and buffering. Ekitike picking up an injury isn't likely to help rectify matters.
Arne Slot gamble backfires
Mohamed Salah being left out of the Liverpool starting XI raised eyebrows before kick-off, with Slot explaining that it was only down to there being another big game to come on Saturday against Chelsea.
In his place, Jeremie Frimpong was selected in an advanced position — something that Slot has tried in the past and namechecked in the summer as something he intended to try.
"I'm always excited to see him," Clarence Seedorf said on Amazon Prime Video's coverage of the game. "He always brings you energy and he is a player who will bring excitement, energy and fight."
He showed little of that here, though. Frimpong seemingly wasn't quick enough to get away from his marker and he didn't show enough quality with his crossing. Like the attack as a whole, he was far too predictable.
Salah, when he came off the bench, did better. The Egyptian injected some life into the attack to an extent, though he was often doing so on his own with little support.
Even though he hasn't been playing well so far this season, it was still a gamble to leave Salah out. He is so often the man who pops up with a big moment, and the decision not to play him clearly backfired.
Florian Wirtz change needed
Florian Wirtz has not been poor for Liverpool so far, but it would be fair to say that the German hasn't ignited yet. Operating as a number 10 again here rather than being shifted out wide, he showed some decent signs.
He found spaces well but didn't have quite enough conviction in the final third to ensure that he got on the scoresheet, bringing a decent save from Urgucan Cakir in the first half.
Frankly, it looks like he is lacking physicality at the moment, which is something he can work on but needs to change as quickly as possible. Wirtz floats around but isn't able to win anything in the air and is too easily pushed out of the way.
Ibrahima Konate under scrutiny
Ibrahima Konate was all over the show against Crystal Palace at the weekend and while he improved here, he still made some errors. Osimhen should have scored when Konate gifted him possession, and that led to Alisson getting injured.
Joe Gomez went through a rigorous warm-up at half-time but wasn't called upon. Before long, though, you have to wonder whether it might be wise to give him a go.
Konate has been out of form for some time now and might benefit from some time out of the limelight. Liverpool, meanwhile, would benefit from having someone at the back with more composure.
He wasn't the only problem on this occasion, but he was certainly one of them once again. That has, unfortunately, been a pattern for Liverpool in the early weeks of the season, and the panic has seemingly spread. That is a major issue.
English (US) ·