Gary Neville criticises ‘ineffective’ Liverpool assault as Premier League champions undergo third straight loss with Chelsea defeat

Gary Neville has criticised Liverpool’s assault and midfield after Arne Slot’s aspect suffered a 3rd straight defeat in a 2-1 loss at Chelsea.

After Moises Caicedo’s thunderous first-half opener, Liverpool had acquired themselves degree once more within the second half by means of Cody Gakpo.

Nonetheless, Estevao’s stoppage-time end off the bench sealed a win for the house aspect.

Regardless of hoping to finish a comeback, Neville feels that final season’s champions Liverpool had been extraordinarily poor of their makes an attempt to chase the sport, particularly as Chelsea suffered additional damage issues in defence with Josh Acheampong and Benoit Badiashile compelled off.

“I thought after they scored, I was really disappointed in their level of performance,” Neville mentioned on the Gary Neville Podcast.

“Quite a bit has been product of Liverpool’s defensive work and rightly so, however that is not why they’ve misplaced this sport. They’ve misplaced this sport as a result of within the final 15-20 minutes, their inventive gamers, their gamers within the last half of the pitch, the midfield gamers and the forwards had been completely ineffective.

“They had been giving the ball away such as you would not imagine. Gakpo, Salah, the wastage. Wirtz, not understanding find out how to get right into a sport within the final quarter-hour when it was there for the taking and simply type of ended up nearly marking Caicedo.

“I thought their front players were terrible. Salah is sublime. How can you criticise the consistency and reliability and brilliance of him, but some of the decisions of him today, when he comes inside and you think he should pass it or you think he should do something better with it, and his finishing was poor.

“Isak, I believed he’d began the sport sharp however did not fairly get into it.

“Wirtz, when he came on, I was disappointed with him. He looks very immature in his knowledge of how to play the game.

“I simply see him type of jogging round, and I see him going too deep when he should not go too deep, and I see him standing subsequent to gamers when he should not be standing subsequent to gamers. Generally I see him being too trustworthy – it sounds loopy going again and defending.

“He should be almost half cheating, almost like keeping an eye on that deep line midfield player just in case he can spring off him and go the other way on the counter attack. He’s quite predictable at this moment in time in terms of picking up his position and he was disappointing.

“Liverpool had been poor at present. That is essentially the most disappointing final quarter-hour I’ve seen from Liverpool in a very long time as a result of I believe when Chelsea have that again 4 in play, you’ve got scored a objective so you have to go on and win that sport.

“Everything said Liverpool should go and win that game but they’ve not done it and that’s a problem for them.

“We have a title race on. Arsenal have had an ideal week, Liverpool have had a poor week and I believe it makes for an ideal subsequent six months as a result of it is going to be an actual battle.

“For Liverpool they’ve got some work to do but they’ve got experienced players, they’ve got world-class players and individuals in their team and they’ve got a great manager.

“They will type it out however the full-backs should step up, Wirtz has to start out taking part in and understanding how he will type of join with Isak and the opposite forwards within the crew.”

Neville’s criticism prolonged to their backline with the previous Manchester United full-back suggesting Liverpool have defensive points too.

“[Milos] Kerkez looks like a youth team player,” Neville informed Sky Sports activities.

“I know he’s a good player but he looks like he’s playing for the U21s. He looks so naïve; he looks like a baby out there.

“He is dropping, he is dropping 50-50s towards Pedro Neto. It is not as if he is coming from a unique nation, he is acquired a variety of video games underneath his belt within the Premier League.

“I expected him to slot in because one, he’s playing alongside Virgil van Dijk, the best centre-half in the world, so if you want to play in a back four you want to play with great defenders and he’s doing that.

“He is acquired gamers who work onerous on that aspect – it is not as if he is acquired Salah in entrance of him on this aspect which is a little more tough for the precise again since you all the time get somewhat bit extra uncovered.

“I’ve to say from the primary 10 minutes of that sport towards Bournemouth on the primary day of the season on that Friday night time, he struggled.

“Let’s be clear, Liverpool’s full-backs are struggling. Frimpong looks like he should be playing as a right winger – he doesn’t perform like a right-back. Conor Bradley isn’t doing it, and Andy Robertson, I think he’s battling but he’s not quite where he was a few years ago.

“Liverpool’s issues I believe at this second in time as a lot to do with full-back as wherever. They should button that down.”

Slot: Summer changes have impacted us

Speaking after the game, Liverpool boss Arne Slot suggested changes over the summer have impacted his side.

“I believe you are by no means near your best [team],” Slot said.

“You must work actually onerous to succeed in a sure degree after which it’s totally onerous in soccer since you additionally play towards superb groups to maintain that degree going. What I imply by that’s consistency.

“Nevertheless it’s clear that we had a variety of adjustments in the summertime. Gamers got here in at completely different moments. Final week, there has hardly been any coaching time and nonetheless we have to attempt to convey these gamers in.

“The result would have been better today with a draw or a win, which was both possible. I don’t say we deserved it, a draw we definitely deserved, then we would have had a great start to the season, if you take into account everything that happened in the summer in Liverpool.”

Have Liverpool misplaced their stability?

Sky Sports activities’ Jamie Redknapp believes Liverpool have misplaced their stability of their seek for a successful components after their summer season switch enterprise.

“Those last-second goals end up running out, you run out of luck, and then you get caught the other side. It’s become a difficult thing,” he mentioned.

“When I watched Liverpool last season, the one thing I always felt was they had control – they had a lovely balance about them, a steady back four and then Ryan Gravenberch in front.

“Now that supervisor desires him to have a barely completely different function, that is effective, however you’ll be able to’t change an excessive amount of about what was so profitable. They’re dropping management in vital matches. They’re too open on a regular basis. It has been end-to-end, that is not what Liverpool had been final yr.

“Last year, from Arne Slot, it was one of the most incredible managerial performances. To a certain extent, it all made sense; they didn’t really buy any players.

“This yr he is acquired completely different gamers and he is making an attempt to suit issues collectively rapidly.

“Things haven’t quite gelled in the way he would have liked. Alexander Isak will need time, Hugo Ekitike will need time. I thought it would all slot together perfectly but it hasn’t.”

Redknapp additionally believes Liverpool are feeling the impression of Trent Alexander-Arnold’s departure after he secured a free switch to Actual Madrid in the summertime.

“They’ve got problems at full-back. They’re missing Trent (Alexander-Arnold).

“They have not performed the identical right-back for the reason that Burnley sport. (Conor) Bradley had a tricky 45 minutes. (Milos) Kerkez hasn’t fairly tailored both – the strain of taking part in for Bournemouth is not the identical.

“They have problems all over the pitch but especially at full-back with (Andy) Robertson’s injury at the end. This international break could be a good chance to reset.”