Liverpool
How Iraola Could Address Liverpool’s Midfield Exposure
Iraola sees Liverpool’s midfield issue as collective, not one player’s fault, and may turn to Mac Allister.
Andoni Iraola has dismissed the idea that Liverpool’s problem can be solved simply by signing a specialist defensive midfielder. After Newcastle United repeatedly exposed the space through the middle on Sunday, the new boss insisted the issue runs deeper than one position.
The warning signs were plain in the 2-2 draw. Ryan Gravenberch and Florian Wirtz were both caught ahead of the ball before Newcastle’s second goal, while Dominik Szoboszlai was in place but unable to prevent Yoane Wissa moving forward. Former defender Jamie Carragher called the situation “madness,” saying: “This midfield cannot work, I said it before a competitive ball was kicked.”
Iraola took a different view. “It’s not just personnel,” he said after the match. “There were different reasons for both the goals which happened in transition.
“… It’s not just because one person is playing there [as a holding midfielder]. It’s something we have to correct between a lot of players.”
The concern is not new. Since the start of last season, only Sunderland have conceded more Premier League goals on the counterattack than Liverpool, who have shipped seven. By comparison, defending champions Arsenal have allowed just one over the same period.
One route is behavioural rather than structural. As Carlo Ancelotti has argued, defenders need a more pessimistic mindset than forwards. In Liverpool’s case, Gravenberch and Szoboszlai have too much attacking instinct for a midfield shield, and both rushed into Newcastle’s box early on Sunday. Gravenberch, in particular, has increasingly ventured forward over the past year after excelling in a deeper role during Liverpool’s title-winning campaign.
Iraola’s own Bournemouth side showed industry last season but were also exposed in transition, so a positional tweak may not be his instinct. Instead, he appears to want the team to “finish the action” before counterattacks begin. On Newcastle’s first goal, he felt Liverpool should have taken the chance themselves rather than allow the move to break down. “For the first one [goal] I think we should just finish the great chance we created,” he said. “We were on the edge of the box with a clear situation to shoot, but we didn’t and then you have to give credit to Elanga for winning the race.”
The second goal pointed to another missed chance to stop the break earlier. “It wasn’t like they caught us by surprise,” he said. “We should compete for the first ball and probably make a foul–be a bit more aggressive against the ball carrier.”
That leaves Alexis Mac Allister as a possible internal answer. He began on the bench, with Wirtz alongside Gravenberch and Szoboszlai, but soon after Newcastle’s second goal Iraola introduced Mac Allister and adjusted the midfield triangle with the Argentine at its base.
Liverpool
Haaland’s terse view on United and his Anfield outlook
Haaland brushed off United, then backed City to cope with the pressure at Anfield on Sunday.
Erling Haaland offered a revealing, if brief, answer when asked about Manchester United, and it said almost everything about where the rivalry sits from his point of view.
Pressed on the subject, the Manchester City forward paused, laughed and admitted: “I had to think about the name.” It was a sharp reminder that, for him, United are not the reference point they once were in the city. During his four years at City, the main challengers have been Arsenal and Liverpool, not the club once regarded as the dominant force in Manchester.
The timing of the comment mattered. Haaland had already been looking ahead to City’s trip to Anfield on Sunday, and he made no attempt to soften the mood around the fixture. The Premier League’s most productive striker welcomed the expectation of a difficult reception and said he wanted it that way.
“I hope it’s like that [hostile],” Haaland insisted, “it should be like that when Man City go to Liverpool and Anfield.”
There has been plenty of talk about the atmosphere awaiting City, especially after the official announcement of the club’s guilt regarding more than 100 breaches of financial regulations. That backdrop has fuelled predictions that the home crowd will be relentlessly hostile.
Yet the picture is not quite so straightforward. Anfield retains a fearsome reputation on European nights, but the edge around the ground has not always been so intense in more ordinary circumstances. On a Sunday afternoon, the noise can only do so much.
The match itself may prove more decisive than the setting. City go into the game top of the league with a perfect record under Enzo Maresca, while Liverpool have already dropped points against Newcastle United, Nottingham Forest and Fulham, all three of whom began the day in the bottom half.
Against that backdrop, Haaland’s belief that City supporters are “going to have a good time” at Anfield does not look entirely misplaced.
Arsenal
Five Premier League talking points as Gameweek 6 begins
Arsenal, Chelsea, United, Spurs, City and Liverpool face a pivotal Premier League weekend.
After an international break that was longer than most, the Premier League resumes with a slate of fixtures that should quickly restore the league to centre stage. Gameweek 6 brings heavyweight meetings, difficult home tests and plenty of pressure on sides already searching for rhythm.
Arsenal’s defeat at Brighton & Hove Albion before the break ended a remarkable run and raised the question of how they would react. Five months had passed since their previous league loss, but the 3-0 reverse on the south coast was a severe setback. Leeds United now arrive at the Emirates Stadium unbeaten and sitting fifth, only three points behind the Gunners, while history still strongly favours Arsenal, who have won their last eight meetings with Leeds in all competitions.
Chelsea also need a response after being beaten 3-0 by Brentford. That result was their third consecutive league match without a win and the third time they have conceded three goals in a game this season. Bournemouth’s visit offers little comfort, especially with Chelsea waiting on late checks for João Pedro, Cole Palmer, Moisés Caicedo and Reece James. Marco Rose’s side may be winless, but they have taken points from Chelsea in four of the last six meetings.
Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur meet under clear pressure. United have managed only five points from a manageable run, with defeats to Hull City and 10-man Manchester City damaging the mood. Tottenham, meanwhile, sit bottom after two goalless draws and three defeats, and Roberto De Zerbi’s side arrive with their costly new arrivals yet to settle. The stakes are obvious for both clubs.
The weekend’s headline fixture comes at Liverpool, where Manchester City play for the first time since being found guilty of 114 breaches of the Premier League’s financial rules. After a three-year investigation, the verdict has inevitably shifted attention onto Enzo Maresca and his players, even if they had no part in the issue. City have won all five league games under Maresca, but this is a different test entirely.
Liverpool have every reason to make the occasion felt. They have twice been runners-up to City title teams since 2009 and remain one of the most persistent challengers of the last decade. With the atmosphere set to be intense, this could become one of the defining matches of the round.
Arsenal
Noni Madueke’s Next Move: Four Routes Away From Arsenal
Madueke’s Arsenal situation has prompted January links with Juventus, Atlético Madrid and more.
Noni Madueke’s unsettled start at Arsenal has opened the door to January speculation, with several clubs already being linked. Juventus and Atlético Madrid are among those reportedly tracking the situation, while the winger’s place in the current pecking order looks increasingly fragile.
Madueke is presently the back-up to Bukayo Saka on the right, and he is also facing competition from 16-year-old Max Dowman. On the other side, he provides cover for Christos Tzolis, although he has not featured there this season. Tzolis was injured while playing for Greece last week, but Eberechi Eze had been taking those minutes before that.
His early-season form has also had international consequences. England manager Thomas Tuchel left Madueke out of the September-October squad, despite the winger making five appearances at the 2026 World Cup. The message is clear enough: club performances matter, and they matter quickly.
Atlético Madrid are one possible landing spot. Diego Simeone has used a 3-4-2-1 system this season, which could leave Madueke operating as a wingback or narrow winger. Marcos Llorente and Lee Kang-in currently hold the right-sided roles, with Giuliano Simeone another option. Simeone Sr. has previously taken Kieran Trippier and Conor Gallagher to Spain, but breaking into the side would still be difficult.
Liverpool are another theoretical fit, though the mechanics of any deal would be complicated. The club spent heavily in the summer to replace Mohamed Salah, yet the right side remains unresolved. Rio Ngumoha and Víctor Muñoz have struggled there, while Cody Gakpo has handled the role best so far. Madueke is a natural right winger, but Arsenal’s fee and Liverpool’s status as a direct rival would make negotiations awkward.
Juventus remain a serious possibility. Francisco Conceição owns the right flank, but depth behind him is thinner, especially compared with the left, where Kerim Alajbegović arrived in the summer. Madueke has already shown a willingness to leave London, having joined PSV Eindhoven at 16. A permanent move would likely require movement elsewhere first, while even a loan could depend on the numbers.
