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Liverpool managed to avoid matching an unwanted 72-year record as Wednesday’s 5-1 win over Eintracht Frankfurt ended a run of four straight defeats - and Arne Slot may have stumbled upon the perfect combination for his team going forward.
The Reds evaded a fifth straight defeat that would have marked the club’s worst run since 1953, with goals from Hugo Ekitike, Virgil van Dijk, Ibrahima Konate, Cody Gakpo and Dominik Szoboszlai completing a rout in Germany.
The victory puts Liverpool’s Champions League campaign back on track following the defeat to Galatasaray last month, and it will hope it can maintain the same form back in the Premier League, starting at Brentford this weekend.
While Arsenal, with its stingy defence, doesn't seem likely to concede a goal or drop points in the league, the current leaders' four-point lead over the defending champions isn't insurmountable.
However, Reds boss Slot does still have several issues to address. The most pressing concern arguably lies in the defense.
In contrast to Arsenal, which has kept nine clean sheets and conceded only three goals in its 12 matches across all competitions this season - one being Szoboszlai's stunning free-kick winner at Anfield in August - Liverpool has managed just two clean sheets in 13 games, during which it has let in 18 goals.
The current situation is untenable. Equally unsustainable is the multitude of opportunities that have been squandered in recent games.
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Despite not being at their best in Sunday's disappointing 2-1 home defeat to Manchester United, Slot's team had more than enough chances to at least level the match.
One of the best opportunities fell to Alexander Isak, who continues to struggle for form and sharpness following his record-breaking British transfer from Newcastle United. In contrast, Ekitike has made a promising start on Merseyside after his move from Frankfurt, and he impressed with another goal against his former side on Wednesday.
However, Emile Heskey - much like his former team-mate Jamie Carragher - would like to see Ekitike and Isak play together, like they did in Frankfurt, although that plan may have to wait after the latter picked up an injury.
Speaking exclusively on the Footy Accumulators No Tippy Tappy Football podcast, in partnership with BOYLE Sports, the ex-Liverpool star discussed the steps Isak needs to take to regain his brilliant Newcastle form and why it shouldn't be a choice between one or the other.
"I think he can handle the pressure, but what you've got to remember is that pressure will never go away," Heskey stated.
"Everyone is still going to be talking about the transfer fee, regardless of whether he has a good game or a bad game. He needs to just go out there and perform.
"There's nothing you can do about that now. It's been done. Go out there and perform and show them what you're capable of. We've seen him in the Premier League already, so we know that he can do it.
"He's now got to get that form back, he's got to stay injury-free.
"One good thing is that he's at a club where the fans are going to back you regardless. As long as you work hard, the fans are going to back you."
This was clearly demonstrated on Sunday when Ekitike's determination to pull the Reds back into the match against United was warmly received by the home supporters.
He stated: "He (Ekitike) looks settled. He looks really really good. He's a young lad who's just full of energy. He just wants to get on the ball and take players on.
"He's more traditional to what we know as a front two striker, because he doesn't stay central. If you watch him, he's on the left-wing one minute, and next he's on the right. Then he's trying to drop in and get the ball and go and drive with it.
"He's a bundle of energy at the minute, he maybe needs to focus on trying to stay in the width of the goal or something like that.
"I would love to see them both (Isak and Ekitike) play up front. We've missed the combinations that we saw with the likes of Dwight Yorke and Andy Cole.
"Combinations like that we miss so much, and I believe them two would be ideal for that."
* An AI tool was used to add an extra layer to the editing process for this story. You can read the original story in the Liverpool ECHO by clicking here.
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