A look at how Liverpool could line up when West Ham United are visited on Sunday afternoon
Arne Slot has to consider major changes for West Ham(Image: Getty Images)
Are wholesale changes needed from Arne Slot to inspire a change of fortunes for Liverpool now? Wednesday night’s miserable 4-1 loss to PSV in the Champions League was their ninth in their last dozen matches across all competitions and the situation is bleak for the head coach.
In a lot of ways, Sunday’s visit to West Ham United is arguably his most important ever Liverpool team selection. The wrong combination and those question marks over his long-term suitability will only grow.
Slot made two changes from the Saturday’s team that was beaten 3-0 at Anfield by Nottingham Forest with Alexander Isak being replaced by Hugo Ekitike and Giorgi Mamardashvili stepping in for the unwell Alisson Becker.
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Ekitike was one of the Reds’ brighter players before he was withdrawn for a back injury and there was little Georgia international Mamardashvili could do about the four goals conceded. Too often the goalkeeper was left exposed to big chances from the Eredivisie champions.
If Alisson is passed fit enough for consideration, though, the vaunted Brazilian will return between the sticks. That at least feels like a solid base to build a team from.
But what to do at right-back? Curtis Jones filled in on Wednesday night as Dominik Szoboszlai was entrusted to play as a more advanced midfielder and it was the right call given the Hungary captain is one of few who have emerged in credit this season, but Jones struggled at right-back and gave an impassioned interview after the game that bemoaned a lack of fight among the squad.
With no Conor Bradley or Jeremie Frimpong, Jones may continue on that side, although Joe Gomez is an option. Despite the versatile Gomez being officially available, however, the defender recently had an injection in his knee, Slot confirmed on Tuesday. So how close he is to being 100% ready for Premier League duty is unclear. It would be a huge risk to start Gomez given his lack of minutes over the last 12 months, but the long-serving Londoner is at least defensively sound.
Does Andy Robertson come back in for Milos Kerkez? The young Hungarian is having a torrid time, it has to be said. Not all of it is of his making, it should be stressed, but Scotland skipper Robertson remains Liverpool’s most accomplished left-back at the moment. Slot needs to get back to basics and Robertson should get the nod after Kerkez’s return to the side coincided with seven goals shipped at Anfield in two games.
Ibrahima Konate is having a nightmare of a season but with Gomez the only other available centre-half – and the aforementioned injection issues and lack of football in 2025 – it’s expected the France international will be picked to play his way through the slump. Virgil van Dijk’s standards slipped considerably against PSV but the Reds captain will start alongside Konate. There are so few genuine options at centre-back that there is no real alternative to the current partnership simply trudging on.
The major question is what Slot does in midfield? Ryan Gravenberch looks as though his head drops whenever Liverpool are confronted by a setback and Alexis Mac Allister has been below his usual levels of class all season in truth. Is there a case for Wataru Endo to get a rare start? The Japan captain would at least help solidify the central areas as Liverpool attempt to plug the leaks of recent weeks. The fitness of Florian Wirtz remains in question.
Up top, Federico Chiesa has shown enough enthusiasm and work rate to force an internal debate and the struggles of Cody Gakpo and Mohamed Salah continue. Isak remains largely unfit and a periphery figure but he may be forced into action due to Ekitike’s back spasms.
France international striker Ekitike gave a hearty nod when asked if he was OK as he walked through the post-match mixed zone on Wednesday night but the £79m striker’s hobbling perhaps betrayed that positive non-verbal update.
Isak hasn’t done the business for Liverpool yet but he is a £125m striker for a reason and now would be a good time to start showing at least some flashes of why he was so highly valued by both Liverpool and former club Newcastle just a few months ago.
Isak – like Wirtz and Kerkez and all the other players signed at a cost of close to £450m in the window – have been signed for years rather than weeks and months but this is the worst run of Liverpool form since the 1950s and they definitely didn’t have as gifted a squad then as they do now.
It’s time to stop the rot. The title has gone, for sure. But if Champions League qualification drifts on by as well, then that will set Liverpool back years, regardless of who is in charge.