Following a second defeat in a matter of days, Arne Slot is set to hand one player his Premier League debut against Chelsea in a game that must feature an improved performance from Liverpool.
Carragher: Time for Slot to "earn his money"
It’s a slump that looked on the cards as each late goal found the back of the net against Bournemouth, Arsenal, Southampton in the Carabao Cup and against Atletico Madrid, but it’s now one that the Reds must deal with before a panic turns into a crisis.
After suffering back-to-back defeats for just the second time under Slot, all eyes will be on Liverpool when they travel to Stamford Bridge this Saturday. Defeat would signal plenty of questions for those at Anfield, who Jamie Carragher believes are playing more like a basketball team than the defending Premier League champions that they are.
“I’m not watching a top team. Liverpool aren’t playing football at the moment, they are playing basketball. It is just end to end and I don’t think top teams play like that.
“I expressed that to the manager early on, he’ll know that a lot better than me. He is obviously a fantastic manager. But right now Liverpool went from, I would call them a workmanlike team last season, and they have sprinkled a little bit of stardust on in terms of the transfers that they have brought in.
“And they haven’t gained anything going forward but they have lost a lot defensively.”
The Liverpool legend then went on to say that it’s time for Slot to “really earn his money” after a smooth ride last season. Just what that means for a number of struggling stars is the big question.
The Dutchman has already proved that he’s not afraid to get ruthless at Anfield and that could be on show this weekend with one player in line to make his Premier League debut.
Slot set to hand out Premier League debut vs Chelsea
Liverpool’s night became worse when Alisson Becker went down after what appeared to be a muscle injury and Slot has already confirmed that the Brazilian will not feature against Chelsea. As such, Giorgi Mamardashvili is set to make his Premier League debut. The former Valencia man has been waiting for his chance and now he’s set to get it.
A lot of questions were asked about Mamardashvili’s game time when Alisson stayed put this season, but the 25-year-old wasn’t just signed to succeed the world-class shot-stopper. Alisson has an extensive injury history and one which has almost had an inevitability about it in recent seasons, making Mamardashvili’s arrival incredibly important.
Described as “magnificent” by scout Jacek Kulig in 2024, the summer arrival offers Liverpool the chance to replace the injured Alisson without losing much quality. Mamardashvili is more than ready to step up, particularly in the shot-stopping department.
