The problems Slot need to solve: Defence, Wirtz impact on midfield and rotation

Liverpool and Arne Slot Face Key Challenges After Istanbul Defeat

Istanbul is not a city Liverpool will remember fondly this time. Twenty years after their most famous night, Arne Slot’s men trudged out of Rams Park with back-to-back defeats for the first time in his second season. The Dutchman tried to play down the damage, but the issues are clear: Liverpool look less assured, less ruthless, and far more vulnerable.

Yes, perspective is needed. Liverpool sit top of the Premier League with five wins from six, and a narrow defeat away to Galatasaray should not derail their Champions League campaign. But standards have dipped, and the concerns mounting.

The solidity of last season has vanished. Two clean sheets in ten games tells its own story. Konaté’s regression has been glaring: his errors directly contributed to Alisson’s muscle injury and left the backline exposed. With Giovanni Leoni out long term, Slot may be forced to trust Joe Gomez alongside Van Dijk. At full-back, Milos Kerkez remains raw while Liverpool badly miss Andy Robertson’s nous.

Van Dijk admitted the side had been “sloppy.” That’s generous — they’ve been downright porous.

Slot promised to rotate more after fatigue caught up with his side last spring. He has kept that vow, but at a cost. Leaving Salah on the bench in Istanbul — his first meaningful Champions League omission in three years — was a bold call that backfired. Jeremie Frimpong provided energy but no end product, and the cohesion Klopp’s side once thrived on is absent.

This summer’s £449 million overhaul means new arrivals are still adapting, but constant changes hardly help. In chasing freshness, Slot risks losing rhythm.

The £116 million signing of Florian Wirtz was meant to turbocharge Liverpool’s creativity. Instead, it has unsettled their balance. Eight matches, zero goals, zero assists. Against Galatasaray, Wirtz lost the ball 14 times, his confidence clearly shaken.

Slot has altered the midfield shape to accommodate him — moving Szoboszlai and Mac Allister out of their best roles — and the stability of last year’s title-winning trio has gone. Wirtz is a generational talent, but he is also a 22-year-old adjusting to a new league, language, and country. The question for Slot: persist or protect?

Liverpool dominated possession and chances in Istanbul but lacked a cutting edge. Ekitike and Gakpo squandered openings; Isak remains short of sharpness and drifted aimlessly wide when Liverpool needed a striker’s presence. Salah, too, has yet to rediscover last season’s form. Federico Chiesa’s return may offer relief, but for now, the front line looks oddly toothless.

These are not fatal flaws — yet. Slot’s Liverpool remain a work in progress, but their growing pains are obvious: a leaky defence, an unsettled midfield, and a misfiring attack. The Dutchman insists there is “no need for panic.” Perhaps not. But improvement is essential.

The Premier League leaders travel to Chelsea next. If Liverpool are to convince anyone they can sustain a title charge and another deep European run, Slot must find quick solutions to problems that already feel familiar.