Why Liverpool WON'T win the Premier League

Aug 12, 2025 5 min read
Why Liverpool WON'T win the Premier League
Liverpool manager Arne Slot

Heading into the Community Shield, TNT Sports posted a discussion clip fronted by the quote "They're probably the most clear favourites to win the league that we've seen in the last 10 years.” That team being, of course, reigning Premier League champions Liverpool, who much of the media feel are going to be unstoppable on the back of a summer of massive spending. Some of these lofty expectations have been tempered following Liverpool’s penalty loss to Crystal Palace in the Community Shield, a game which showed that at least as of right now, the reigning champions have some vulnerabilities. I was of the opinion for quite a while before that game that Liverpool were going to struggle somewhat this season, and on the back of that game I would like to explain my reservations about their team.

The Signings

Slot’s Reds have made four major signings this summer, notwithstanding the potential fifth entry of Alexander Isak, which remains up in the air at the moment. Jeremie Frimpong has been brought in to fill the void left by long-time right back Trent Alexander-Arnold. This is a signing that makes some sense, but I would also say very confidently that it is a downgrade from Trent, a player of the same archetype but a bit worse overall at everything. On the opposite side, Milos Kerkez comes in enters as the heir to Andy Robertson’s throne. This is probably an upgrade on the Robertson of today, but I remain unconvinced at it being some massive steal. In a market bereft of brilliant left backs, Kerkez is a good signing but not one who will paper over cracks elsewhere. I’m sure based on my negativity there is an expectation that I will be contrarian about their other two signings; I will not be. Hugo Ekitike and Florian Wirtz enter the team and massively raise the ceiling of their attack. Both players add an immense amount of individual creativity and incision, and even without Isak they will be massive upgrades to what was already probably the best attack in the league.

This sounds familiar...

You know who else added a hot commodity attacker to a team that had just had a dominant season? Real Madrid last year, when they signed Kylian Mbappe on the back of a La Liga and Champions League double. And just like what is happening now, many people felt like they had created a team that would be unstoppable, especially in a domestic league where their only prospective challengers, Barcelona, were still reeling from their financial difficulties. 12 months later, and Barcelona are league champions and Carlo Ancelotti has left Madrid following a trophy-less season. Elsewhere, Paris Saint-Germain have claimed their first Champions League trophy despite all of their big name attackers leaving, because they found brilliant quality where it wasn’t obviously (and expensively) apparent and built a team with structure in mind over flash.

The Problem with Liverpool’s attack

This is not to say that Liverpool’s attack is not good; to reiterate it is probably the best in the league. But because of the money that has been spent on those players, Slot is now locked in with them. All of Salah, Wirtz and Ekitike basically have to play every big game. Additionally, another attacker will need to play because there is either no left winger or no striker in that team, depending on where Ekitike plays. So unless league record signing Florian Wirtz is going to be expected to play as an out-and-out striker, a role that doesn’t suit him, or a false nine, which I don’t think he would be content with, Liverpool are now locked into a front four for the majority of the season. We saw glimpses of how this might work (or not) against Palace, which leads into the next problem.

Unsupported midfield

If you are going to play a front four like the one Liverpool lined up with during the Community Shield, you need your midfield to be very strong in order to compensate for the lack of man power, both from having less players and from receiving less support from the front line. Liverpool do not have a combination of players that can fulfil this role appropriately. None of Mac Allister, Szoboszlai, Elliot or Jones suit a two-man midfield, and Endo is just not good enough to play there in important games. Ryan Gravenberch probably would be able to, but there is nobody to partner him, and even if there was one player that would mean a single functioning midfield pair for what will be an immensely taxing job. In buying Ekitike and Wirtz (and this only gets worse if Isak joins) Liverpool have locked themselves into a system that they do not have the midfield profiles for. Wirtz can’t be part of a three in midfield because he is too attacking, and you can’t really drop any of the attackers. The Reds find themselves in a catch-22 where they either play a dysfunctional midfield or risk upsetting one or multiple of their star attackers in trying to find a midfield that works. And this problem in midfield compounds with the final squad issue the reigning champions face.

Defensive frailties

Even among the optimistic media discussion of Liverpool, questions have been raised over their defensive depth. At right back, they have Frimpong and Conor Bradley, neither of which are terrible but neither of which are great either. On the left, Kerkez and Robertson will be the main options, which is pretty good but not world-beating. But the problem comes in the centre of defence, where the Reds currently only have three senior options; Virgil Van Dijk, Ibrahima Konaté, and Joe Gomez. Even if they sign a back-up, which must surely be on the agenda (Marc Guéhi seems fairly likely), four proper centre-back options is low, and leaves them an injury or two away from massive problems. Beyond this though, I also think there is a lack of quality at the back. Van Dijk is still good, but as Sunday showed he is far from the imperious player he was when he was runner-up for the Ballon d’Or. Konaté is also alright, but I don’t think he would provide much of a challenge to the options of Arsenal and Manchester City. In the same way that I can fairly confidently call Liverpool’s attack the best in the league, I can say that of the title contenders they have the worst backline. Their centre lacks real quality and depth, their right is questionable at best, and their left is steady but does not compensate for their shortcomings elsewhere.

Conclusion

Liverpool obviously have a brilliant attack, nobody could reasonably deny that. But as we saw with Madrid last year, a brilliant attack doesn’t always make a brilliant team. It can even take a dominant team and leave them without any silverware, as the manager is forced to play a dysfunctional system in order to accommodate the stars up front. The lack of a working midfield will combine with the lack of defensive quality to create a team that will score a lot, but will be cut open very easily as soon as the ball is retrieved by their opposition. Of course, maybe Slot finds solutions to the problems I have put forward. But until those solutions appear and work, I see no reason to believe Liverpool are 'the clearest favourites in the last 10 years.’ They will remain favourites, as is their right as holders, but it will not come as a surprise to me if in 12 months time we look back on 25/26 Liverpool in the exact same way that we do now for 24/25 Real Madrid.

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