Liverpool have been dealt their second Premier League defeat of the season on Sunday afternoon, shedding as soon as once more at Anfield, this time in opposition to reigning champions Arsenal.
What to make of Andoni Iraola‘s squad? At occasions, Liverpool have seemed like they’re returning to type as bona fide contenders on the prime of the Premier League, however there’s clearly a gulf in high quality and coherence, a bridge to hole between them and the division’s elite.
When Jurgen Klopp’s venture was in its heyday, it felt like FSG might do no unsuitable within the switch market. However that is modified in recent times, with Liverpool’s fall-off really beginning when the legendary German was nonetheless on the helm.
Take a look at the record-breaking transfer to signal Darwin Nunez from SL Benfica.
Why Darwin Nunez was such a catastrophe at Liverpool
Nunez, aged 27, is now into his second season within the Gulf area, having left Liverpool in 2025. He scored 40 targets throughout 143 appearances for the Anfield aspect, successful the Carabao Cup and the Premier League, however he by no means got here near dwelling as much as the £85m price ticket Liverpool met to carry him over to England.
Liverpool have been purported to be transitioning away from the times of Bobby Firmino within the false 9, and delivering for Merseyside a world-class striker with the flexibility to rival the easiest of them within the Premier League. In Nunez’s ultimate season in Portugal with Benfica, he scored 34 targets throughout 41 appearances, bagging in opposition to the likes of Liverpool and Barcelona and Bayern Munich within the Champions League.
In equity, Nunez left Liverpool after three years with many followers nonetheless on board. He’s well-liked on Merseyside, however the truth stays that FSG by no means bought bang for his or her buck, the Uruguayan lacking an absurd variety of large probabilities and failing inside two managers’ profitable programs to hit the best notes.
|
Nunez’s Wastefulness within the Premier League |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Season |
Targets |
Massive Probabilities Missed |
|
24/25 |
5 |
8 |
|
23/24 |
11 |
27 |
|
22/23 |
9 |
20 |
Liverpool felt that they’d accomplished the last word improve when changing him with Alexander Isak and Hugo Ekitike final summer time, however up to now, the Reds are struggling to vogue a frontline sharp and slick sufficient to fireplace themselves again into the ascendancy.
There are issues all around the park, although, with a member of the Liverpool crew discovered on the opposite finish of the sphere rising as the brand new model of Nunez.
Liverpool flop is beginning to seem like the brand new Nunez
Liverpool’s spending has change into way more scattergun in recent times, and this has been mirrored by way of the erratic, topsy-turvy nature of the membership’s performances on the sphere.
Embodying this sharp downswing is Milos Kerkez, who turned one of the vital costly full-backs in Premier League historical past when he signed for Liverpool in a £40m deal in 2025, leaving Iraola’s Bournemouth venture with the wind in his sails.
Kerkez’s adventurous type and want to enterprise into harmful positions established him as one of the vital thrilling widemen on this planet whereas plying his craft with Bournemouth. Now he’s a shadow of that participant; he has struggled to transition to life at a extra demanding outfit (no disrespect to the Cherries).
Essentially, the 22-year-old appears to wrestle with the psychological aspect of the sport. He struggles to make the best selections on the proper moments, and he has but to forge a easy, productive partnership with the likes of Cody Gakpo or Bradley Barcola down Liverpool’s left flank.
Towards Arsenal on Sunday, the Hungary worldwide’s flaws have been brutally uncovered. He misplaced 4 of 5 floor battles throughout the afternoon, at occasions resembling a headless hen as he did not subdue Noni Madueke on Arsenal’s proper.
Final season, Kerkez was one of many guiltiest culprits when it got here to Liverpool’s decline. There was hope that he made some tweaks this summer time to return to type, however this hasn’t been the case, along with his newest catastrophe in opposition to Arsenal making the chilly remark that he’s merely not ok.
Analyst Asim Mahmood admitted within the wake of the defeat that “it is vital Liverpool exchange him” throughout the winter switch window. Whether or not FSG will do that continues to be to be seen, however Kostas Tsimikas is hardly a Liverpool-standard alternative.
Kerkez is shaping up as Nunez 2.0 in that he has apparent bodily qualities and sufficient technical skill to thrive for one of many Premier League’s most demanding outfits.
Nonetheless, utility is turning into his greatest problem. It is an actual concern for a membership who noticed such potential when spending large cash to carry to Anfield and exchange a legend in Andy Robertson.
Sadly, technical director Julian Ward goes to should make signing a brand new left-sider a precedence as soon as once more, earlier than anticipated, as was the case with Nunez a number of years in the past.
