1 week ago
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Wayne Rooney has questioned the body language of experienced Liverpool duo Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah after the Reds slumped to a fourth Premier League defeat in a row by losing at Brentford.
Arne Slot's side did score twice — with Salah ending his drought with a superb finish — but it couldn't hold out defensively and went behind early in the game after a long throw.
"No one has seen this coming, it's hit them quick, it's hit them hard and I think they're struggling to find a way out of it," Rooney said on his BBC podcast.
"This is a time where the manager and the leaders in the team need to figure it out very quickly. Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah, they've signed new deals but I don't think they've really led that team this season.
"I think body language tells you a lot, and I think we're seeing slightly different body language from the two of them.
"They are the top two players in that team and if their body language is not right, that affects everyone else.
"I might be wrong on this, but if I was a Liverpool fan or the manager, that would be a big concern for me."
Liverpool is next in action in the League Cup midweek, where Slot could make wholesale changes. The likes of Joe Gomez and Federico Chiesa will be pushing for starts.
Arsenal is now the leading contender to win the Premier League and the Gunners could be 10 points clear of Liverpool by the time the Reds kick off against Aston Villa next weekend.
"The squad is good enough now and I think they've had the experiences which have got them close, but I think they're ready for it," Rooney said.
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"If they don't win it now, you'd probably see a change of manager."
In addition to Liverpool losing, Manchester City also fell to a defeat in what was a dream weekend for Arsenal. The Gunners already have a six-point lead over Pep Guardiola's men, who are one ahead of the Reds.
Bournemouth is currently second in the standings, but even the Cherries are four points behind Arsenal.
Liverpool.com says: There is a lot to fix for the Reds but there is also lots of quality in the team. Arne Slot needs to find the right balance quickly, but he has too many world-class talents not to find some form at some point.
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