The Premier League Fought Back, And Liverpool Weren’t Ready | OneFootball

Liverpool don’t look like defending champions. They’re eighth in the table with 18 points and have only one win in their last five games. The drop has been sudden and difficult to ignore.

It’s also been interesting to see how the betting market has responded, and Norwegian betting sites in particular were quick to offer their own assessments of the situation. Lately, many have turned to bonus betting sites from this country, which offer perks like free bets, deposit match deals, or cashback, to place bets on football leagues, including the English Premier League (Source: https://www.gameshub.com/no/bettingsider/bonus/). When it comes to Liverpool, the message is clear: expectations are low. The odds of them winning the title now sit at 12/1, a number that reflects how far they’ve slipped in the eyes of both fans and analysts.

So, how did it reach this point? What’s gone wrong? And why does this team suddenly look out of sync?

A Front Line Full of Talent, Still Struggling to Click

Liverpool spent big during the summer, and on paper, the front line is stacked. Florian Wirtz came for a record fee, followed by Alexander Isak and Hugo Ekitik. In return, the club dumped Luis Diaz, Darwin Nunez, and Harvey Elliott. The idea was to refresh the attack. The execution hasn’t worked out!

Wirtz has vision, Isak has movement and sharp finishing, and Ekitiké gives the team a physical edge. But far from opening up new spaces, the attack has looked crowded. Too many players get into the same areas. There’s little width and not enough room to run in behind. Possession is slow, the danger out wide is all but gone. Despite the individual skills, the group still lacks rhythm.

A League That’s Gotten More Direct

Across the league, the trend is clear: more teams are opting to skip the midfield. Set pieces, long balls, fast transitions; it’s been the go-to strategy for sides looking to disrupt possession-heavy sides. Last season, Liverpool handled this type of play effectively. This time, they’ve been caught off guard.

The style hasn’t changed that much on the Liverpool end. With Wirtz and others designed for tight, short-passing football, they’ve stuck to their approach. But when games get scrappy, and the ball is bouncing all over the place, they’ve lost control. Teams sit deep, wait for errors, and hit on the break or off corners and free kicks. Liverpool haven’t found answers!

A Squad Still Searching for Balance

The squad looks impressive on paper, but the pieces don’t quite fit yet. There’s attacking depth, but too many want the ball in the same zones. That’s left gaps elsewhere. The midfield no longer protects the defence as it once did, and the new full-backs lack the control and structure that they once provided.

A period of adjustment was expected, but the drop-off has been steeper than anybody thought it would be. There have been good moments yet: quick passing moves, brilliant finishes, the occasional spell of dominance. But they don’t last.

Goals aren’t coming in the same rate, and also, mistakes at the back (especially from set pieces) are proving costly. Currently, it’s a team trying to figure out what it wants to be, and time is already running out.

Where Do Liverpool Go From Here?

Liverpool doesn’t need a complete rebuild: they need to be reset. The squad has talent, the manager has experience, and the season isn’t lost, yet. Something has to give, whether that’s dropping certain players, changing the shape, or tightening things up defensively. January may bring some solutions, but they can’t afford to wait around.

The league has moved on. Opponents are faster, tougher, and more prepared. If Liverpool doesn’t sort it out soon, the difference will increase. The next few weeks won’t just shape their season. They’ll reveal whether this team still has the edge to compete at the top.