Liverpool simply were not at the races on Monday night as Southampton took a two-minute lead over the Premier League champions on the south coast.
Trent Alexander-Arnold was to blame for allowing Danny Ings to have sight of goal, and the former Reds striker made no mistake with a looping effort over Alisson into the top-right corner of the net.
It was an embarrassing opening few minutes, if we’re being honest – watching Liverpool playing like dummies on the training ground while the Saints played their game.
Guardian Sport editor Sachin Nakrani wasn’t happy with what he saw from the first half, saying it was perhaps the ‘worst 45 minutes under Jurgen Klopp‘ for the Reds.
That might be Liverpool’s worst 45 minutes under Jurgen Klopp. Slow, sloppy, clueless. And for it come after the Newcastle game and with Man Utd breathing down their necks … well, it’s unfathomable.
— Sachin Nakrani (@SachinNakrani) January 4, 2021
The renowned journalist is right to point out the defensive injuries Liverpool are currently enduring in a later tweet, but is spot-on when he says the Reds’ attacking power is shot.
It’s frustrating to see how well the reigning champions played against Southampton and then struggle to score for over 220 minutes of football against West Brom, Newcastle and Southampton.
… the defensive injuries are obviously an issue but it’s actually the attacking which appears most concerning. Where has the chance creation gone, let alone the ruthlessness that was on show at Crystal Palace only a few weeks ago? Completely vanished.
— Sachin Nakrani (@SachinNakrani) January 4, 2021
