Liverpool: Defensive fragility and new signings shine, heading to the title?

Liverpool loses the Community Shield to Crystal Palace in an exciting penalty shootout

In an encounter full of emotions, Liverpool showed glimpses of their quality, but ultimately fell defeated to Crystal Palace in the penalty shootout of the FA Community Shield. The match, played at Wembley, kept the fans on the edge of their seats with a 2-2 draw in regulation time, before Palace took the victory from the penalty spot. This defeat marks the second time in a few months that Liverpool has gone without a title in the capital, after the Carabao Cup final against Newcastle United. Despite the expectations and favoritism for next season, Arne Slot’s team will have to learn important lessons from this match. Liverpool’s investment in the transfer market has been notable, with spending exceeding £270 million. The team has been reinforced with players like Florian Wirtz, Jeremie Frimpong, Milos Kerkez, Hugo Ekitike, and Giorgi Mamardashvili.

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Part of these funds have been recovered with the transfers of Darwin Núñez and Luis Díaz to Al Hilal and Bayern Munich, respectively. The departures of Trent Alexander-Arnold, Jarell Quansah and Tyler Morton have also generated additional income. However, the match against Palace highlighted the need to strengthen the squad, especially in terms of team depth. Joe Gomez’s injury left Liverpool without a central defender on the bench, which is a concern for Slot. Furthermore, the defense showed fragility, with Virgil van Dijk committing a penalty and Palace scoring another goal.

Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate, Liverpool’s central defensive duo, couldn’t prevent Crystal Palace from scoring two goals.

We have replaced four players and sometimes it takes time to adapt offensively or defensively. We need to make some defensive adjustments.

Arne Slot

Despite the defeat, there were positive aspects for Liverpool. The new signing, Hugo Ekitike, scored an impressive goal four minutes into his debut. Frimpong also scored a goal, while Wirtz and Kerkez showed their talent in midfield and defense, respectively.

Hugo Ekitike only needed four minutes to debut with Liverpool in the Community Shield.Liverpool’s interest in Alexander Isak remains, and the team needs to reinforce its attack. Slot emphasized the need to bring new energy to the team, given that they have lost several key players. The coach is aware that the path to success requires work and adjustments. The Liverpool coach is working on the team’s preparation for the new season, and he is clear that they must be reinforced to be competitive.