Liverpool have been ‘found out’. At least, that’s what some of the discourse around the Premier League champions’ wobbly start to the season would tell you.
Curiously, for all the noise around Liverpool’s struggles, they sit just one point behind first-place Arsenal after losing back-to-back matches in the division. Their bitter defeat at Galatasaray in the Champions League need not be more than an outlier.
But there’s no question that Arne Slot and FSG have work to do. The Reds lack fluency and verve, and after a record-breaking summer of spending, concerns are justified.
But, conversely, teething problems are not abnormal and nor are they an indicator of the players’ chances of long-term success at Anfield.
But improvements, nonetheless, are needed going forward.
Liverpool’s new-look frontline
Liverpool were beaten at Stamford Bridge before the October international break. Cody Gakpo cancelled out Moises Caicedo’s thumping first-half strike, but Slot’s side lacked coherence and confidence in the closing stages and were caught out at the flickering embers by young Estevao Willian.
Tactically, the problems run through the squad, but the frontline still haven’t performed to their usual, expected standard, and the toils of Mohamed Salah serve as the bleak representation of that.
Thus far, £69m striker Hugo Ekitike is the only one who can hold his head high, with Florian Wirtz in particular coming under scrutiny for his struggles since completing a record £116m move from Bayer Leverkusen, since trumped by new teammate Alexander Isak.
Liverpool’s Frontline in 2025/26
Player
Apps
Goals (assists)
Hugo Ekitike
10
5 (1)
Mohamed Salah
10
3 (3)
Federico Chiesa
6
2 (2)
Cody Gakpo
10
2 (2)
Alexander Isak
6
1 (1)
Florian Wirtz
9
0 (1)
Rio Ngumoha
5
1 (0)
Data via Transfermarkt
With so much upheaval having taken place, there’s a sense of ruefulness across the fanbase concerning the deal to sell Luis Diaz to Bayern Munich before the penultimate year of his contract.
The reality is not so simple, but it’s frustrating to watch the 28-year-old do so well in Germany nonetheless.
Liverpool may regret selling Luis Diaz
Replacing Sadio Mane down the left flank at Liverpool was always going to be a tall order, but Diaz gave it a good go across his three-and-a-half years on Merseyside.
Arriving from Porto in January 2022, the Colombian international. He won the Premier League, two Carabao Cups and the FA Cup during his time in England.
Last season, having posted 17 goals and eight assists across the 2024/25 campaign, Diaz was instrumental for Slot, filling in at centre-forward as well as his natural left-sided attacking role.
Now plying his craft for Bayern in the Bundesliga, Diaz has started off this new chapter in fine fashion, scoring six goals and assisting four more across all competitions so far. Terrific on the ball and scarily dynamic in attack, former Barcelona boss Xavi has hailed him as a “world-class footballer” with “blistering speed”.
Ten goal involvements far eclipse that of Slot’s Liverpool crop, and while the Premier League typically proves more difficult than other divisions to unleash prolific performances on opponents with such consistency, it’s still evidence that Liverpool perhaps jumped the gun with his sale.
Liverpool’s vision is a bold one, and sporting director Richard Hughes has certainly recruited first-team stars this summer with the potential to see the club dominate for many years to come.
But Diaz was an immense performer last season, ebbing and flowing in front of goal but always playing with focus and tenacity. He won the Premier League.
Given the early-season issues Slot has faced, you wonder whether he might miss the Colombian’s electric presence, zipping around the final third.
