Liverpool succumbed to a 2-1 defeat at Anfield, with a late Erling Haaland penalty enough to secure all three points for Manchester City on a bitterly disappointing Sunday night for the Reds.
The biggest indication to determine whether a manager is in the ‘elite’ category can be attributed to their OOP (out-of-possession) set-up and defensive principles. I believe it would be generous for me to say that Slot has been below average in that regard over the basis of our approach in games this season. Sunday was another stark reminder of how vulnerable we are when the opposition is in control of the football, especially a team with the skill set of Manchester City.
After taking the lead with 15 minutes to spare through a Dominik Szoboszlai wonder strike (reminiscent of his free-kick against Arsenal in August), the Reds failed to capitalise on a promising position. Instead, for the last portion of the match, Slot’s men sat back in a timid mid-block with little pressure on the City player in possession. This was a team that failed to use the fans and the Anfield atmosphere to galvanise the collective in search of what would have been a significant three points.
There was a lack of care in possession, notably from Alisson, whose pass ultimately led to the penalty, and Kerkez, who time and again looked for the overly ambitious ball forward. A directness which was the last thing Liverpool required at the time. Liverpool finished the match with just 78.5% passing accuracy (Man City at 84.5%), a season low in the Premier League.
Perhaps the plan was to drop off to encourage City to step on and then see to anything which fell in the 18-yard box. At this level, it is a huge gamble as 9/10 times, a team of City’s quality will generate at least one outstanding moment, and that proved to be the case.
Another damning stat revealed, showed that Liverpool have now conceded more result-altering goals (6) in the 90+ minute mark than any of team in the Premier League this season.
Liverpool, the reigning Premier League champions, have conceded at least two more result-altering goals (6) in the 90th minute than any other team in the Premier League this season. pic.twitter.com/1HArZHDPRH
The team need to bounce back quickly, and tomorrow’s game away to Sunderland is a perfect chance to demonstrate a more positive, front-footed approach.
Liverpool FC have completed a £60 million move for the highly-rated 20 year-old defender, who will join from French side Stade Rennais in the summer. But who exactly is Jeremy Jacquet?
20 years old
6’2″
Right-footed
Primarily plays as a CB, but can also play at RB
Jacquet came up from the academy of Ligue 1 side Stade Rennais, playing for their B team between 2021 and 2024. He made one appearance for the senior team before spending two seasons on loan at Ligue 2 side Clermont Foot.
Jacquet was so impressive during this stint that Stade Rennais recalled him in February 2025, reportedly paying an early loan cancellation fee of €900,000. Since then, he has made 30 senior appearances for his boyhood club.
He has also played on the international stage, representing France at youth level and getting into the UEFA European Under-19 Championship Team of the Tournament in 2024, when France were beaten by Spain in the final.
Why is he so expensive?
The reported figure, which sits around £60 million, reflects both the buzz around the player and his contract situation.
Both Chelsea and Manchester United were battling to secure Jacquet’s signature during this transfer window, which is likely to have skyrocketed his market value. As per Ian Doyle, the Frenchman was offered the same financial terms by Liverpool, and it was the long-term project which convinced him to make the switch to Merseyside.
Even aside from the transfer interest, Jacquet is widely regarding as one of the most promising defensive talents in Europe. A report from CIES Football Observatory in December included Jacquet within the top ten players in Ligue 1 whose transfer value is likely to rise in the next six months. According to their estimations, his value was set to rise by over £7 million, an increase of 30%.
With this in mind, Liverpool likely wanted to get ahead of the curve in order to avoid an astronomical asking price in the summer transfer window.
It is also important to understand that Jacquet is under contract until 2029. With his parent club under no pressure to sell, they have the freedom to set whatever price they deem fair.
What are his strengths?
Jacquet has already showcased dominance in the air, which is perhaps unsurprising given his 6’2″ frame. He also has good defensive awareness, ranking within the top fifteen defenders for interceptions made in Ligue 1, according to FBRef.
Jérémy Jacquet – Ligue 1 25/26:
☑️ 12 games ☑️ 59 passes per 90 ☑️ 90% pass accuracy ☑️ 1.4 tackles per 90 ☑️ 1.2 interceptions per 90 ☑️ 5.3 clearances per 90 ☑️ 68% of aerial duels won ☑️ 60% of ground duels won
— Football Talent Scout – Jacek Kulig (@FTalentScout) November 8, 2025
He also ranks highly for successful take-ons, tackles and recoveries.
According to David Ornstein, Liverpool see Jacquet as an integral part of future plans for the first-team, and they believe his profile is better suited to this vision than that of Marc Guehi.
Liverpool fans will have to wait to see the new signing in action, however, as he is set to return to Rennes for the remainder of this season. When he does finally head to England, he is sure to be warmly welcomed by fellow Frenchmen Konate and Ekitike!
Liverpool claimed their first victory in the Premier League this year with a scintillating attacking display against Newcastle United. Here’s how it happened…
Following Liverpool’s victory in Europe on Wednesday, manager Arne Slot named two changes to the team which started on the south coast against the Cherries last weekend.
With both Jeremie Frimpong and Joe Gomez sidelined with injuries, Dominik Szoboszlai was deployed as a right-back. The Hungarian started next to Ibrahima Konate, who had missed the last three fixtures due to the tragic passing of his father.
The Reds looked to secure their first Premier League victory since the turn of the new year, and the second over Newcastle this season, having won the reverse fixture thanks to an injury-time winner from youngster Rio Ngumoha. Meanwhile, Newcastle faced the daunting task of claiming triumph at Anfield for the first time in 30 years.
The first 45
The first real goalscoring opportunity of the match fell to Newcastle’s Harvey Barnes, who curled a fine strike towards goal after Lewis Hall laid the ball off to him from a free-kick. Alisson was able to parry it away, however, before Konate hooked it clear.
Just ten minutes later the visitors made the early pressure count. Willock’s attempted pass into Barnes was poked away by Mac Allister but only as far as Gordon, who drove a low effort through the legs of Milos Kerkez and past Alisson into the far corner.
However, Newcastle’s lead would last just five minutes before parity was restored. Salah’s deflected cross fell to the feet of Gravenberch, who nicely cushioned the ball for Florian Wirtz to run onto.
The German still had plenty to do, dancing in between multiple defenders and playing it across the box for Ekitike, who tapped it past Pope from close range.
In the blink of an eye, the Frenchman had his second. Kerkez received a quick qoal-kick and sent a long ball down the field to Ekitike, who beat Thiaw for pace and drove towards goal. Even though the angle was against him, the Frenchman produced a beautiful finish with the outside of his foot, driving it past Pope into the far corner.
The brace bumped Ekitike’s goal tally up to fifteen for the season across all competitions, with eight of those coming in the Premier League.
After the interval
Liverpool started the second half strongly with Ekitike having another really good opportunity to turn two into three.
He quickly raced in behind Dan Burn, who misjudged the bounce of the ball and let the Frenchman in. However, Ekitike was unable to convert on the angle as he dragged his effort wide of the post.
After his brilliant assist to Eikitke for the first goal, Wirtz would give the Reds some breathing room just before the seventieth minute mark.
The German won possession inside the visitors half and drove forward towards the edge of the penalty area, where he played it wide to Salah.
The Egyptian drew two Newcastle players with him before squaring the ball back to Wirtz, who carefully placed his effort into the far corner beyond the reach of Pope.
The German is going from strength to strength, and has now registered five goals and two assists in his last nine outings in all competitions.
As Liverpool closed in on the three points, a late gift from Newcastle goalkeeper Nick Pope meant Konate rolled a fourth goal in for the Reds.
Szoboszlai’s curling corner delivery was too much for Pope, who fumbled the ball. Konate was the fastest to react and used the side of his foot to poke the ball home as it slowly rolled in over the line.
The whole team celebrated with the Frenchman, who looked visibly emotional after scoring on his first appearance since leaving the team for bereavement reasons.
With that, the referee blew the whistle for full-time and Liverpool finally secured their first Premier League win in 2026.
The aftermath
Newcastle once again leave L4 with nothing, with Liverpool remaining unbeaten in their last 18 premier league outings against the Magpies (13 wins and 5 draws).
A certain Gini Wijnaldum was amongst the goals the last time Newcastle managed to take all three points against LFC, back in 2015.
Despite taking the lead early on, Eddie Howe’s men seemed to offer much less of a fight in their search for a way back into the game after finding themselves trailing at the half-time interval.
Liverpool now occupy fifth position in the league with a huge fixture against Manchester City coming in a week’s time.
Arsenal and Liverpool share the points in the capital as neither side managed to find the back of the net for the first time in a league meeting between the two sides since August 2015.
Arne Slot made just a singular change from his side’s dramatic 2-2 encounter with Fulham on Sunday, with the return of Jeremie Frimpong to the side in place of Curtis Jones. However, Liverpool fans were frustrated by the omission of Hugo Ekitike, who still finds himself on the sidelines due to injury.
His absence was certainly a blow, with the Frenchman recently being named as Liverpool’s player of the month for December. The 23 year-old has been a bright spark in a disappointing season for the Reds. Liverpool have only won 30% of their games across all competitions this season when the French international has not started.
“I’m proud” 🙌
Hear from Hugo Ekitike as he is named @StanChart Player of the Month 🗣️ #Ad
The first half brought about very little goalmouth action between the two teams, with Liverpool’s best chance of the first period coming just shy of the half hour mark. Saliba’s pass back to Raya left the Spaniard scrambling forcing him to quickly clear the ball. However, his quickly attempted clearance fell nicely for Conor Bradley who decided to try and lob the keeper, only for it to crash back off the crossbar.
The rest of the first period was devoid of any real goal scoring opportunities, and both teams went into the half-time break level. The Reds went into the interval having failed to register a single shot on target during the first half, with this being the sixth time it’s occurred this season.
Liverpool started the second half much better with a moment of quality from Florian Wirtz just three minutes into the second half. The German glid his way past multiple challenges before then going to the ground following a barge from Trossard. After a brief VAR check, referee Anthony Taylor waved play on and stuck with the onfield decision to not award a penalty.
Frustration began to grow inside The Emirates as Reds sustained their pressure on the home side’s defence. With just eight minutes to go, Szoboszlai found himself with his second free-kick of the game, in a similar area to the spectacular set piece that he scored against the Gunners in August. This time, however, it wasn’t meant to be, with the Hungarian’s effort dipping just over the crossbar.
Emotions came to a head in stoppage time, as the Gunners’ frustration boiled over. An awkward clearance caused Bradley to twist his knee, sending him writhing to the ground, with Martinelli close behind him. The Brazilian attempted to take a quick throw-in, but play was halted because Bradley was still on the pitch. Martinelli did not take kindly to the decision, dropping the football on Bradley and then proceeding to try to push the Liverpool defender off the pitch. The incident spawned a small pushing match, resulting in the booking of both Martinelli and Konate, who shoved the winger in retaliation.
After Conor Bradley went down with an injury in stoppage time against Arsenal, Gabriel Martinelli first threw the ball at the Northern Ireland international before trying to push him off the pitch while he awaited treatment.
Gomez came on for the final few minutes after the Northern Irishman was taken off on a stretcher, and then Taylor blew the final whistle on a tense stalemate.
The aftermath:
The encounter produced the first 0-0 draw between the two sides in the league for over ten years. It truly was a match of two halves, with the hosts dominating the opening 45, but going on to be totally penned in by the visitors after the interval.
A draw now leaves the men in red still occupying fourth place in the table, sitting just two points above Brentford and still fourteen points off top spot.
The Reds will return to L4 with cup action next on the agenda as Liverpool host League One side Barnsley, who famously knocked Liverpool out of the competition at Anfield in 2008.
Slot will hope to go further than the fourth round this time round: given their poor Premier League campaign, it is surely a competition the Liverpool boss will be wanting to go far in.
Some people will brush this under the carpet, others will claim that the defeat will derail the whole season. The truth lies somewhere in the middle, albeit much closer to the forgiving side.
The Reds had 70% possession across the 90 minutes, but only managed to fashion one big chance, according to FotMob. The culprit? A lack of understanding between players on the day, as well as an incredibly rare poor display from Trent.
The full-back created four chances, more than anyone else on the pitch, but his delivery was just off during the whole match. The 25-year-old registered 69% passing accuracy and found his team-mates with just 50% of crosses, and 27% of long balls.
FT: Liverpool 0-1 Nottingham Forest
Arne Slot was aiming to become only the seventh manager in Premier League history to win his first four matches.
However, Forest leave Anfield with a first league win away to Liverpool since February 1969. pic.twitter.com/H2A5WjN1rU
His frustration was evident, and he capped off the display with a late yellow card. In any case, however, the team should not be relying on one player to create attacking opportunities, even if that player is one of the most creative and ingenious players in European football.
Here Trent’s team-mates further up the field let him down. Jota was unable to resemble anything like a focal point in attack, losing most of his duels, while the usually razor-sharp Salah was largely wasteful. Shots from good passing positions, wayward passing, it was a day to forget for the Egyptian.
This poor display up front did not happen in a vacuum of course. From the first minute, Forest set out to sit back and hit the home side on the counter, releasing Gibbs-White and Wood during transitions.
Their game plan was as frustrating as it was successful. Exaggerating contact, making tactical fouls, the first half especially was incredibly disruptive and it stopped Liverpool from gaining the attacking rhythm that saw them turn things around against Ipswich at the start of the season.
But Slot and his players will have known this. Teams that park the bus are irritating, but they often telegraph their entire game strategy from the first minute, and it is up to sides like Liverpool to break them down.
To this end, the Reds have more than enough difference makers in the team to break deadlocks. True, the injured Elliott was sorely missed, with his special ability to find a way through defences with pass or shot. But between Trent, Szoboszlai, Salah, Jota and Diaz, the quality is certainly there.
While the home defeat stings badly, the squad must dust themselves off and prepare for a gruelling eleven days that will throw three matches at them, across three different competitions.
Rare are the days when players like Trent and Salah both have a poor game, and today happened to be one of them. That’s football, and we can’t expect these players to be like machines every match.
If players from this starting eleven continue to display a lack of energy and creativity, however, Slot can and should turn to other options. The likes of Jones, Nunez, Gakpo and Bradley all provide a huge amount of quality, and it’s up to the current crop to fight for their place.
Let’s see how much fight this squad have in them over the next few weeks.
The England international has made the most of his chances in the first team with back-to-back MOTM performances, and pundits are belatedly recognising his talent.
It has taken long enough, not to mention a change in management, for Trent to get some sort of run in the starting XI. New gaffer Lee Carsley handed the 25-year-old his first start for England in almost three months, who clocked up more minutes against Ireland and Finland than he did across the whole European Championship this year.
Since Carsley took charge, Trent has been given a new lease of life. Despite starting on the right hand side of defence, the Scouser tops almost every progressive passing department.
1 – Across Lee Carsley's first two England games, Trent Alexander-Arnold is top for:
Chances Created (7) Forward Passes (55) Passes into the box (29) Passes in the Opposition Half (138)
These performances have not gone unnoticed. The ex-pros on the Overlap podcast were rhapsodising about Trent’s unlocked potential, while even Lee Dixon was giving the defender credit on commentary, albeit reluctantly.
Although it’s refreshing to see Trent get his plaudits after so long, it is difficult not to feel frustrated that pundits have taken so long to cotton on. It has simply taken them an age to drop the bias against him, including the baseless narrative that Trent cannot defend.
From Carragher describing Trent’s defending as ‘not good enough’ to small-time ex-Chelsea defender Laboeuf’s bizarre claim that the full-back’s defensive abilities are ‘championship-level’, the narrative has been as uncontested as it has been ridiculous.
So widespread was the idea that Trent was subjected to an incredibly harsh interview ahead of England’s World Cup campaign two years ago, which shone a direct spotlight on his defending. No such treatment was handed out to Trippier, who endured a horrible run of error-strewn games at the end of last year.
"People like to shout about the mistakes and the ones I could have done better on rather than the ones I have defended well on" 🗣
Aside from the lack of fair hearing, Trent’s defensive statistics objectively stand up to scrutiny. When compared to his international team-mate Walker, who was preferred by Southgate, Trent outperformed the City defender in several defensive metrics last season.
Defensive statistics in the 23/24 Premier League season (per 90 minutes)
Although Walker’s less advanced position hands an advantage to Trent in metrics like interceptions, it is remarkable to see how close the two defenders are, given the well-established line that Walker is defensively solid and his Scouse counterpart can’t be trusted.
Trent’s brilliance in possession may have temporarily shifted focus away from his supposed lapses in defence, or maybe pundits are finally recognising his all-round game, only time will tell. Either way, any of us that have watched him regularly know how special he is, and it’s about damn time that England fans drop the tribalism and realise it too.
With only one year left on his current deal, renewing the Egyptian’s contract is of utmost importance. We look at three reasons why it’s so crucial that he stays, and why the club stand to gain so much from his continuing involvement.
Sheer output
Mohamed Salah signed for Liverpool FC in 2017 – 214 goals, 90 assists and seven years later, he is still producing goal contributions.
The 32-year-old’s consistency in competitions like the Premier League and the Champions League is simply remarkable when you look at the numbers. The graph below shows his total goals and assists in all competitions since 2017.
Apart from his exceptional outlier of a debut season, Salah has maintained a steady stream of goal contributions during his time at Anfield. Across system changes and injuries to the squad, he has been arguably the most consistent player in the team.
When his goals dried up somewhat in the title-winning 19/20 season, he replaced them with a healthy tally of 13 assists. The following season, he turned the tables, bagging his second-highest haul of 31 goals and notching only six assists.
He stands alone at these heights. Former team-mates Mané and Firmino registered 162 and 186 goal involvements respectively, which, although hugely impressive, pales in comparison to Salah’s total stash of 306 goal contributions.
Although the 32-year-old is not getting any younger, he offers a constant attacking threat and guarantees an end product. If he departed, the team would have to fill a huge void in the front line.
Adapting to a new role
As shown by his uptick in assists since 2020, the Egyptian has proved that he can evolve as a player. The days of his surging runs up-field on the counter may be drawing to a close, but he can still offer so much as a creator.
In lieu of huge goal hauls, Salah is now showing his ability to assist chances and goals. While his total assists dropped by three last season, it’s reasonable to put this down to the wastefulness of his team-mates in the six-yard box.
This is because he registered, according to Understat, 12.33 expected assists last campaign, an all-time-high. He also made 2.32 passes per match which led to a shot, which is his highest since coming to Anfield.
He has started this season in the same vein, registering three assists in the first three games of the season. With Salah embracing this creative role, he protects himself somewhat against the creeping impact of age, which has diminished the numbers of so many goalscorers across the years.
Lack of options in the market
If Salah should leave, there are not many players in the market that could replace him. Premier League regulars Saka and Palmer have performed fantastically in the past couple of seasons, but they would be impossible to pry away from their clubs, and would incur a huge transfer fee.
Players such as Bowen and Mbeumo are more attainable, and could fit the profile for a Salah replacement, but question marks remain over their ability to make the step up to such a high level.
The same can be said for options outside of England. PSG’s Barcola has huge potential, but he recently signed for the French giants. Rodrygo could be an option, with his displacement from the Real Madrid starting XI, but the Galactico would not be cheap.
Even if the club did identify a couple of targets, the recent signing of Chiesa makes another signing in that department unlikely. It is far more probable that Chiesa is rotated sporadically with Salah, and, at the age of 26, developed into a future starter.
What with Salah’s remarkable consistency, his versatility as a creative player, and the lack of an immediate replacement, the message for Hughes ad Co. should be loud and clear: get the contract sorted out as soon as possible!
Ryan Gravenberch has gone from the bench to one of the first names on the team sheet with his excellent performances in holding midfield.
The Dutchman has been reinvigorated by both the arrival of fellow countryman Slot and the change in formation which the new gaffer has brought about.
Slot has picked the 22-year-old in holding midfield for every match so far this season, a choice richly rewarded with three wins and zero goals conceded. The Reds are now the only team in the league who have not been scored against.
A couple of weeks ago, we identified progressive passing and ball retention as two priorities in a potential No 6 signing. On his current form, Gravenberch is excelling in both of these areas.
According to statistics from the Premier League, he has only been dispossessed once in the league this season, and 53% of his passes have been progressive. His passing accuracy sits at 89%.
In isolation, these statistics look great, but they get even better when you compare the Dutchman with his midfield partner.
Mac Allister enjoyed a fantastic season after signing from Brighton last year, and has had similar success at the start of this campaign. Currently, however, Gravenberch is stealing the spotlight.
Statistics via Squawka
He boasts better statistics per 90 minutes than the Argentinian, surpassing him in both defensive and offensive areas.
Helped by his 6ft2″ frame, Gravenberch has won every aerial duel, and over half of ground duels. He is on level footing with Mac Allister for tackles made.
Up the other end, the 22-year-old has enjoyed better passing accuracy and has played more forward passes. He has also lost possession less often and been tackled less than his midfield partner.
Gravenberch was particularly impressive against Manchester United, stepping into the opposition half constantly to press and intercept opposition passes. It was his clever interception and pass that fed Salah, who assisted Diaz for the opener.
We are only three matches in, of course, and it would be unrealistic to expect Gravenberch to maintain this incredible form for the whole season. But given the noise around the lack of a No 6 signing, it is very promising that Slot seems to have found a solution within the squad.
The transfer window has come and gone with minimal activity, but conclusions can still be drawn about how the club plans to handle their business in the future.
Despite positive loan spells for Carvalho and Van den Berg, the club had no qualms about moving them both on to Brentford. True, both transfers involved sizeable sums and chunky sell-on clauses, but the departures dashed any dreams that the duo may have had about making the cut at Anfield.
Van den Berg may not have been surprised, given his almost permanent loan status since 2021, but this summer was a harsh reality check for the Portuguese midfielder, who was only signed two years ago. Clark, headed for Salzburg for £10 million, may also feel that his time on Merseyside ended prematurely.
The same can be said for Blair, who, after nine years at Anfield, left for Portsmouth this summer. This doesn’t have to be a bad thing, however, with permanent transfers often preferable to lengthy loan cycles (Exhibit A = Chelsea). Regardless, the message from the club seems to be clear: if we can’t guarantee you minutes, you are free to go.
Faith in the squad
Whether it’s down to FSG’s stinginess, the club’s historic (and often successful) caution and opportunism or simply a lack of good options in the market, the executives at Anfield have decided that the squad that Klopp left this summer is good enough.
Last season’s midfield revamp and the meteoric rise of stars like Quansah and Bradley means that the squad is in a very good place. There is healthy competition in almost every position across the board, and the younger players clearly understand that development into the first team will not happen overnight.
📊 Last season as per @CIES_Football Tyler Morton was one of the best press-resistant U21 midfielders in world football.
He had ball retention under high pressure rate of 86.9%.
Only Gavi (87.1%) and Zaïre-Emery (87.1%) ranked higher. #LFC should have signed a no.6 in my… pic.twitter.com/1s5IYgugtL
The uncertain outcomes of contract negotiations for Van Dijk, Salah and Trent mean the squad may be in a very different place next summer, but for this season, Slot has a fantastic starting XI and reserves to work with.
Opportunistic as always
In Liverpool’s transfer moves both fulfilled and unrealised, the club once again showcased the trademark opportunism in the transfer market that has brought them so much success in recent years.
The clever arrangement for Mamardashvili’s signature brokered a cheap deal and ensured Alisson’s place between the sticks for at least another year, while Chiesa’s low transfer fee speaks for itself.
While the bid for Zubimendi ultimately failed, the club’s willingness to go all-in on the midfielder and pay his release clause of over £50 million was a signal of intent. The Spanish midfielder was a prime target in a pretty depleted market of No 6’s, and once it was the clear that he wouldn’t move, the club resolved to wait until January or beyond for a defensive midfielder.
With clubs like Chelsea operating like a FIFA career-mode save, it is refreshing to see Edwards and Hughes bide their time in the transfer market. It remains to be seen, however, if this approach leads to brilliant acquisitions or a failure to address urgent problems in the squad.
Waiting on a No 6
On a related note, this summer has confirmed fears that the club are playing a risky game in defensive midfield. Either they are waiting for the perfect holding midfielder to crop up in the market or they are hoping that a solution will present itself in the current squad.
Last season revealed something of a hole in the middle of the park. Mac Allister filled in for a while, but his creativity and guile was wasted in such a deep position. Endo filled in fantastically, but looked like a stop-gap until the club could bring in or develop a ball-playing, press-resistant No 6.
Meanwhile Bajcetic, who has shown exactly these qualities in glimpses during the 22/23 season, struggled to recover from an adductor injury and has now been sent on loan to reunite with Pep Lijnders at RB Salzburg.
Slot’s arrival, however, has simplified this midfield dilemma. His use of the double pivot places less responsibility on a holding midfield ‘destroyer’, the role that Fabinho played so exceptionally under Klopp.
Gravenberch’s integration into this role is proof that Slot isn’t looking for a traditional No 6, but rather a defensive-minded midfielder that shares the Dutchman’s capacity to keep the ball, carry it progressively and play forward passes.
Between the abundance of options for this profile – Jones, Gravenberch, Morton and even Szoboszlai could all partner Mac Allister in midfield – and the club’s willingness to wait for the perfect defensive midfielder, we shouldn’t expect to see a new face in the middle of the park before next summer.
Phillips may never leave Anfield
Poor Nat. Many Reds may have thought that, with the astonishing trajectory of Quansah’s success at centre half, Phillips may be allowed to leave for new pastures. A guarantee of game-time is the least he deserves after his heroics alongside Williams in that torrid 21/22 season.
We could not have been more wrong. The 27-year-old has been dispatched to Derby County this time, to bolster the Rams’ defence in their bid to stay in the Championship after promotion last season.
Nathaniel Phillips has joined Derby County on loan for the remainder of the 2024-25 campaign.
Is the decision to keep Phillips a domino-effect from Van den Berg’s departure, and the consequent weakening of depth in defence? Or is Nat’s life-force tied to Anfield, so that he has to stay here until he retires? Either way, we hope that the defender has a great campaign in Derbyshire!
The Italian forward is set to sign a 4-year contract in a deal expected to be around £11 million.
In typical stealthy fashion, Edwards seems to have once again brought a player to Anfield without many people knowing about it. This time it is 26-year-old Federico Chiesa, perhaps best-known for his electric displays at the 2021 European Championship.
Also true to the Edwards way, the transfer is expected to cost just £11 million, a staggeringly low price for a player that was in such high demand only two seasons ago.
Chiesa enjoyed a modest season with Juventus this year, scoring 10 goals and bagging 3 assists. While unspectacular, it was an improvement on the season before, which saw him sidelined for much of the campaign, missing 31 games. Unfortunately, this was not unfamiliar territory for the Italian.
Matches missed through injury for club and country
Since signing for Juventus in 2020, Chiesa has missed 89 matches for club and country, with a large percentage of those absences caused by a cruciate ligament tear he suffered in 2021, a notoriously difficult injury to recover from.
These injury fears, however, are lessened by role that Chiesa is likely to have in the squad. The forward has been brought in to rotate with, and be a backup for, Salah. The squad has been searching for an understudy to the Egyptian for a while, with Doak set to go out on loan (according to Paul Joyce), Gordon failing to impress and Elliott preferring to play in attacking midfield.
Chiesa’s positional flexibility will, in fact, allow him to act as backup across the front three. Statistics from Transfermarkt show that the forward has experience in both wide positions and also playing down the middle.
In this department, Liverpool are signing a versatile, flexible player that can rotate with any of Salah, Jota, Gakpo, Díaz and Núñez. If Chiesa’s injury woes continue, it will not greatly impact the squad.
The most accurate comparison that can be drawn with a previous player is perhaps Shaqiri. Signed for £2 million more than Chiesa, the Swiss international was seldom a starter, but played a huge role in Liverpool’s success.
He clocked the best minutes to assist ratio for Liverpool since 1992, and contributed massively to the famed comeback against Barcelona in 2019. If Chiesa has similar success during his time at Anfield, the £11 million fee will be worth its weight in gold.
