Liverpool’s Last Four Show Why Concerns Are Real

Results can hide a lot, and right now it feels like that’s exactly what is happening with Liverpool. The last four games haven’t set any sort of high bar, and if you look past the scorelines, the concerns are hard to ignore.

West Ham, Leeds, Sunderland – Flaws Laid Bare

Take West Ham at Anfield. Liverpool got through it, but in terms of actual play it was nowhere near the level you’d expect. The tempo was off, the control wasn’t really there, and too often the ball was turned over cheaply. You could see the idea of what the team wanted to do, but it never really clicked into a proper rhythm.

Then there was Leeds. Conceding three goals in the space of around 25 minutes tells its own story. The shape went, the concentration went, and the whole thing looked far too easy for the opposition. When a game unravels that quickly, you can’t just put it down to bad luck. There are deeper issues there in how the team is defending transitions and handling pressure.

Sunderland away was another big warning sign. If not for Chiesa, that could easily have turned into another humiliation. His contribution papered over a performance that was nowhere near good enough. The team didn’t control the game, didn’t manage the moments, and came out of it looking flattering on the scoreboard compared to what we actually watched. Just because Liverpool didn’t lose doesn’t mean it was acceptable; you could argue they were fortunate to avoid defeat.

Inter The Exception, Not The Standard

The Inter game sits slightly apart. A Champions League away tie in that stadium is about getting a result first and worrying about the rest later. Liverpool dug in, stayed in the game, and when the big chance arrived they took it. That was a night for game management and mentality, and both the players and Arne Slot deserve real credit for how they handled it.

But that performance feels more like an exception than something we’re seeing week to week. You can’t lean on one gritty European away display to explain away the league form or some of the domestic cup showings.

A Season Below Standard, With Hope Still There

The truth is that Liverpool have been below par all season. You don’t even need detailed numbers to feel it; the general patterns tell you enough. Too many games where the press isn’t quite right, where the midfield doesn’t fully grab control, and where the back line is exposed more than it should be. Some of the comparisons with last year are damning, and that’s before you even get into the finer details.

None of that means it’s beyond fixing. The hope has to be that this is a team still finding its best version under Slot, ironing out the gaps in structure and decision-making. The foundations are there, the talent is there, but the performances need to catch up with the expectations.

For now, it’s fair to say Liverpool haven’t hit the level required. The challenge from here is simple enough to say, harder to do: perform better, control games more, and turn those warning signs into lessons rather than regrets.

Written by OliRed: 14 December 2025