Jamie Carragher warned of “crisis time” for the reigning champions after a sequence of defeats that exposed persistent tactical flaws. Opponents are increasingly exploiting long balls and set pieces, a problem that left Arne Slot openly puzzled after yet another game in which those methods produced goals.

Brentford’s recent success from dead-ball situations was no accident. Keith Andrews was exclusively tasked with overseeing the club’s dead-ball strategy before taking over the hot seat from Thomas Frank in the summer, and an ever-expanding pool of Liverpool opponents have adopted similar direct plans. Manchester United and Chelsea both racked up season-high tallies of long passes in their recent victories against the Reds, leaving Slot to bemoan such a strategy from teams “with all their talented players.”

The Dutch boss conceded: “It is definitely that teams have a certain playing style against us; it is a very good strategy to play. We have not found an answer yet.”

Carragher blamed the lightweight profile of the squad for their failings in these robust aspects of the game. “Liverpool have to look at the physicality and height within their team because, right now, I don’t think they have enough,” fretted the retired centre back—who takes great pride in amassing more than 500 Premier League appearances despite standing at less than 6’ tall—on Sky Sports .

He added: “Losing four games in a row for Brentford would be a disaster,” and warned: “To see the champions do it with the expenditure in the summer means we’re in crisis time for Liverpool right now.

“There will be a lot of serious questions asked in the dressing room between the players and the coaching staff and the people above the manager. When they’ve looked at what they’ve spent, they’ll be looking for a lot more.”

Several of the players accused of frailty arrived in the summer. Florian Wirtz hasn’t quite caught up to the Premier League ’s blood and thunder while Jeremie Frimpong is rarely fit enough to prove whether he can meet those demands. Even though Milos Kerkez thrived in a buccaneering Bournemouth side last term, the change of scenery has seemed to rob the fullback of any physical authority.

Gary Neville offered a milder verdict. “It’s not just a blip any more, it’s becoming a concern,” he mused, adding: “Arne Slot’s Liverpool remind me a bit of my old Man Utd team.” “We went through mad periods where we always looked capable of scoring, but we were all over the place.”

Gameweek 9 produced a chaotic Premier League weekend, with Arsenal the big winners, contenders slipping and Sunderland moving into the top four after a dramatic late win at Chelsea. FotMob’s list of the 10 highest-rated performers reflects how varied the influences were: match-winning late finishes, set-piece specialists and goalkeepers keeping clean sheets.

Liverpool were poor at the Gtech on Saturday, falling to Brentford. Dominik Szoboszlai was one of the few bright spots, carrying a Reds engine room that struggled against the hosts’ physicality, though his efforts went unrewarded. Szoboszlai’s 8.4 FotMob rating matched Matheus Cunha, who scored his first Manchester United goal in some style in their 4–2 win over Brighton & Hove Albion. Cunha has looked at ease in Ruben Amorim’s front three since returning from injury.

Burnley secured a last-gasp victory at the winless Wolverhampton Wanderers thanks to Lyle Foster’s late finish, but the early breakthroughs came from Quilindschy Hartman and Zian Flemming. Hartman provided a pair of assists at Molineux and looks like one of the more underrated signings of the summer. Flemming, whose loan was made permanent after 12 Championship goals last season, had been peripheral early in the campaign but scored Burnley’s first two goals in the 3–2 win. His opener was a first-time finish from a Hartman pass and he later outmuscled Santiago Bueno to poke home his second.

There was a three-way tie for fifth, with two goalkeepers and a midfielder on 8.6. Bournemouth’s Đorđe Petrović made four saves, prevented 0.81 expected goals and helped the Cherries to a 2–0 win over Nottingham Forest. Guglielmo Vicario followed an outstanding Champions League display with a first Premier League clean sheet since September 13, denying Iliman Ndiaye and Beto chances at Everton. Casemiro earned an 8.6 for Manchester United with a deflected strike that doubled the lead and 12 defensive contributions, including five recoveries.

Bruno Guimarães’s 90th-minute winner rescued Newcastle against Fulham as he rebounded William Osula’s saved effort for his third league goal of the season. Tottenham benefited from set-pieces as Micky van de Ven scored twice from corners in a 2–0 win over Everton and became the first Tottenham defender in 12 years to score a Premier League brace, with a clean sheet completing his day.

Manchester United are two victories short of a five-game winning run that would deliver on a public promise from Frank Ilett, a.k.a. The United Strand, who offered to get a haircut if the club achieved the streak. A 2-0 victory over Sunderland before the international break extended United’s current run to three wins and left them sixth in the Premier League table, above Liverpool.

Ilett has not cut his hair for more than a year and suggested his wait may end on November 8. His challenge was a wry response to a difficult period for the club, and it is notable that United had managed a similar sequence only months before his wager began.

Erik ten Hag’s first season in charge produced tangible success. “They won the EFL Cup and returned to the Champions League under the Dutchman,” and Ten Hag then faced a tougher second season. The 2023/24 campaign contained few high points until the FA Cup final victory that persuaded INEOS to retain Ten Hag.

The run that offered hope began in late January. On January 28 United beat Newport County 4-2 in the FA Cup fourth round after the Welsh side had levelled the score at 2-2. Antony and Rasmus Højlund scored in the second half to secure progression. That result preceded a four-game winning sequence in the Premier League during which Højlund found the net in each of the victories.

United beat Wolverhampton Wanderers 4-3 courtesy of a stoppage-time finish from Kobbie Mainoo, then recorded a 3-0 win over West Ham United with an Alejandro Garnacho brace. A 2-1 win at Aston Villa featured a Scott McTominay winner in the 86th minute. A Højlund brace inside seven minutes produced a fifth successive victory away at Luton Town, but the run ended the following weekend at home to Fulham.

United remain in pursuit of five consecutive wins in all competitions and five straight Premier League wins. They technically began the 2023/24 season with a Premier League victory at Wolves, after finishing the previous season on four successive wins.