Liverpool continued their shaky start to the current campaign this week after a 4-1 defeat against Napoli. The comprehensive defeat does not even tell the complete story. The Italian giants also had a penalty shot saved and missed a massive open goal opportunity as well. Defensively, a usual strength for the Merseyside club, was a huge failure on the night.
Coming into the campaign, Liverpool had allowed the fewest goals in the Premier League in three of the last four seasons. While defense has been a major advantage in recent seasons, they have not played nearly at their best at the back in 2022/23 thus far.
Liverpool’s disappointing start to the season
The Reds have managed to collect just two victories in their opening seven games of the season. They have allowed 10 total goals in these matches. To put their struggles into perspective, Liverpool did not allow their 10th goal of the season until October 19th last campaign.
After the match, Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher wondered if his club’s dominance could be coming to an end.
“For me the big worry is that is this almost something that is going to carry on throughout the season? Is this an end of a cycle?,” he questioned on the CBS Sports post-match show. “It’s the actual performances probably more than the results that is worrying me right now.”
Manager Jurgen Klopp also voiced his frustrations following the Napoli defeat. “We were not compact defensively or offensively,” Klopp explained to BT Sport. “With Alisson in goal, you have to be really bad to concede three goals [in the first half]. You could see it on the pitch. We were not working as a team. That is why we lose games.”
Klopp also claimed that his Liverpool’s next opponent would to laughing while watching the game.
“We have to play in three days against Wolves. If Wolves saw that game tonight they would not stop laughing and would say it is the perfect moment.”
Although some have suggested that the German could be under fire like Thomas Tuchel, his former counterpart at Chelsea, Klopp seems calm on the situation.
“The difference is they [Chelsea’s owners] are different kind of owners. Our owners are rather calm and expect me to sort the situation and are not thinking that someone else should sort it.”
Liverpool will hope to steady the ship as they host Wolves at Anfield this Saturday.
