A solid start to the Premier League campaign by Arne Slot’s side has unravelled in the past week, with Liverpool falling behind Arsenal in the title race
Chris Burns Senior Sports Writer
06:00, 09 Oct 2025
Trent Alexander-Arnold left Liverpool in the summer(Image: PA)
Liverpool will be hoping to bounce back against their great rivals Manchester United once the international break comes to an end. A superb start to the Premier League campaign by Arne Slot’s side has unravelled in the past week.
With an impressive five victories out of five, the reigning champions were comfortably ahead by five points from second-placed Arsenal. However, a last-gasp 96th-minute goal handed Chelsea a win over the Reds at Stamford Bridge on Saturday, following a 97th-minute victory for Crystal Palace the previous week.
The Reds have also suffered a defeat away to Galatasaray in the Champions League. Liverpool made waves this summer with high-profile signings such as Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak.
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However, it seems that Slot’s costly ensemble of stars are still adjusting. The ECHO provides a roundup of all the latest news from Anfield, featuring Trent Alexander-Arnold and Ibrahima Konate.
Trent Alexander-Arnold verdict delivered
Football legends Gary Lineker and Jamie Redknapp attribute Liverpool’s recent struggles partly to the absence of Alexander-Arnold, reports the Mirror. Alexander-Arnold departed for Real Madrid in the summer, leaving Liverpool boss Slot to rely on Conor Bradley and £29.5million summer signing Jeremie Frimpong to fill the gap.
However, Slot has been rotating the duo and even deployed midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai in the right-back position as the Dutch manager seeks a long-term solution to the loss of Alexander-Arnold.
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Following Liverpool’s loss to Chelsea, Lineker shared his thoughts on the Rest is Football podcast. He said: “In terms of creativity, as much as anything else, I think they’re really missing Trent [Alexander-Arnold].
“Before that, sometimes Trent would go forward and they would, perhaps, get exposed defensively. But what he gives you going the other way, it’s impossible to replace. There is not another player I can think of in world football who plays that position [right-back] in the way that he plays it offensively.
“I also think that Mo [Salah] is missing him, that connection that they had. Yes, sometimes they would get exposed in behind, but they would have someone try and cover that position – last season it was mostly [Dominik] Szoboszlai, previous to that would be Jordan Henderson.
Trent Alexander-Arnold received backlash for his decision to leave Liverpool(Image: Florencia Tan Jun, Getty Images)
“You’ve got to say it was worth his weight in gold going forward, and I always used to say, ‘Stop worrying about him [Alexander-Arnold] making the odd tiny mistake defensively, because what he gives you the other way is incredible.”
Lineker’s sentiments mirror those of former Reds midfielder Redknapp, who said last weekend: “They’ve got problems at full-back. They’re missing Trent [Alexander-Arnold]. They haven’t played the same right-back since the Burnley game. Bradley had a tough 45 minutes.”
Alexander-Arnold’s Anfield departure proved to be a turbulent affair. The full-back faced jeers from supporters when introduced as a substitute against Arsenal at Anfield shortly after confirming his intention to depart the club during the previous summer.
The defender had previously been candid about the emotional difficulty of leaving, having declared ahead of his free transfer: “I’ll always be a Liverpool fan.”
Real Madrid warning
Another factor contributing to Liverpool’s disappointing spell has been the displays of French centre-half Konate. His performances have become a focal point of debate throughout the season, with Liverpool looking vulnerable defensively.
The 26-year-old’s contract runs out next summer, leaving the Reds confronting a growing possibility of losing him for nothing, with Real Madrid poised to strike. Nevertheless, former Man United legend Rio Ferdinand has contended that speculation surrounding Konate’s future has made him a target for Liverpool’s recent struggles.
“There’s no way that Konate has a bad performance last season and he’s getting the headline treatment,” Ferdinand said. “It’s only because of the interest from Real Madrid, and there’s going to be disgruntled fans or people in the media who support Liverpool who are going to now start pointing the finger and blaming him.
Ibrahima Konate has sparked fears about his Liverpool exit(Image: Carl Recine, Getty Images)
“Or, whenever there’s a little mistake here, and if there’s blame to be put between two people, then he’ll probably get it now because of that situation.”
Former Liverpool and Wolves defender Conor Coady has also argued that Konate’s struggles this season are actually due to inadequate support on the pitch. He said: “I look from a centre-back’s point of view and Konate is getting a bit of stick at the start of the season, let’s be honest.
“But you’ve got to remember he has got to play a different way now. What I mean by that is that he’s having to defend in the channel now because Frimpong or Conor Bradley are out of position or Szoboszlai is out of midfield.”
He added: “Teams exploited that channel and Konate has got to go out and defend and I’m telling you now, from a centre-back’s point of view, you do not want to go out there and defend as a right-back. It’s hard, there’s a reason you’re not out there, you’re not quick enough.”